Bethany Church of England Junior School, Bournemouth

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Bethany Church of England Junior School on 6 areas: 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils have not been well prepared for secondary school."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "The school has strengthened its work to improve pupils' attendance since September 2025."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The curriculum identifies what pupils are to learn and when."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "In the past, pupils' needs were not identified quickly enough."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Over time, leaders and the trust have not ensured that the school has prepared pupils for their next stage of education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "The programme to support pupils' personal development meets statutory requirements."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "The trust and leaders should ensure they have stringent oversight of all aspects of the school's work so that it continues to improve"; "The trust and leaders should ensure that pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics continues to rise so that pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, are well prepared for their next stage of education"; "Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment information astutely to design activities that build on what pupils know already and deepen pupils' knowledge of more complex concepts as soon as they are ready"; "Leaders need to ensure that staff implement the school's behaviour policy effectively so that pupils demonstrate consistently positive behaviour and conduct"; "Leaders need to ensure that the personal development programme is implemented consistently well so that pupils show mutual respect of one another".

From the headteacher's welcome: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Bethany CE Junior School. We have the highest aspirations for all our pupils to help them feel confident about making the transition to secondary school and equipped to make a difference in the world."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £3.45 per session.

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at Bethany Church of England Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 56% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (59% in reading, 61% in maths).

Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 92% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole lodged 50 appeals against primary school offers; 32 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (9.4% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Bethany Church of England Junior School are St Clement's and St John's Church of England Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); King's Park Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 77% maths); Malmesbury Park Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 72% maths); and Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 82% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bethany Church of England Junior School.

Bethany Church of England Junior School is one of 20 schools run by Coastal Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

45.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 59.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (26%), Black (19%) and Asian (10%).

In 2026, 72 pupils (23.4%) received SEN support and 9 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Bethany Church of England Junior School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and autism.

The nearest railway station is Bournemouth Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

In August 2026, police recorded 710 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (223), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Bethany Church of England Junior School issued 10 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Bethany Church of England Junior School are Livingstone Academy Bournemouth (0.9 miles), Avonbourne Girls Academy (1.2 miles), Avonbourne Boys' Academy (1.2 miles) and The Bishop of Winchester Academy (1.4 miles).