Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Ipswich
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Ipswich. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2024 Key Stage 2 results were the 39th-highest of the 54 schools in Ipswich with published results, and 10,529th of 13,912 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2024, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 56% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 70% in Suffolk and 76% and 74% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 25 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 87% reading, 68% maths); Brooklands Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); and Stutton Church of England Primary School (2.7 miles, Requires improvement, 71% reading, 50% maths).
Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolCapel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolBrooklands Primary SchoolStutton Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
15% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
Staffing
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Manningtree Rail Station, about 3.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Memorial (opposite), 350 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
15.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2023/24KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2023/24 academic year
Class Sizes
13.3
Avg class size
12.5
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Term dates
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Suffolk. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Suffolk got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
77%
Available places
43 pupils
56 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ipswich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ipswich
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,806
Applications
6,492
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
17.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
40
Total Pupils
19
Boys
21
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
8.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,621
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,994
Per pupil
£431k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
12.8%
Persistent absence
39
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2024 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 56% did so in maths.
What is Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 13.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 40 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 12.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Suffolk. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Church Road, Bentley, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2BT.
Sources: Suffolk term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)