Bere Regis Primary and Preschool

Inspection of Bere Regis Primary and Pre-school Southbrook, Bere Regis, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7DB

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Rachael Brown. This school is part of Wessex Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mike Foley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Martin Baker. There is also an executive headteacher, Joe Bell, who is responsible for this school and seven others. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and polite. They are proud to attend the school. For example, pupils with leadership roles are eager to make a difference. They champion important issues, such as sustainability and celebrating diversity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children get off to a strong start in the pre-school and Reception Year. Staff provide the care and support that children need. Children are inquisitive. They sustain their concentration well as a result of effective activities and resources.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. From the early years, they learn to follow routines and cooperate with each other. For example, children learn how to wash their hands and how to help tidy up the classroom together. Pupils, of all ages, get on well together during lessons and at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Pupils live up to these expectations. Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning. On occasions, however, some pupils are not motivated by the work that they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs and activities. For instance, they enjoy sports, board games and cooking. Pupils have opportunities to develop their musical interests by learning to play an instrument and performing together. The school helps pupils to make good use of these opportunities.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, the school has identified the essential knowledge and skills that pupils should gain. For example, in science, older pupils remember readily the important components of blood. In a few subjects, however, the school is still identifying and ordering the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that pupils sometimes do not build on what they already know and can do.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers have the expertise they need to implement the curriculum. For example, teaching has a sharp focus on the vocabulary that children should learn in the early years. As a result, children develop their language skills well in preparation for key stage 1. At all ages, teaching routinely checks that pupils have learned the curriculum. Occasionally, however, the work that pupils do does not deepen their understanding as well as it could.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn to read accurately and with increasing fluency. From Reception Year, children read books that are matched well to the sounds they are learning. Pupils who need additional support to keep up receive it promptly. Older pupils read regularly and get the help they need to close any gaps in their phonic knowledge. Staff read to children in the early years in a way that builds their interest in words and books.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has strengthened how it identifies and assesses special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It works well with parents to define and review steps in pupils’ learning. Staff receive useful information about how to make adaptations to the 24 and 25 June 2025

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curriculum. As a result, most pupils with SEND build their knowledge, skills and independence.

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Pupils benefit from an effective personal, social and health education programme. They learn about healthy eating and how to be kind to others, for example. Older pupils learn about keeping themselves safe online. This builds on the knowledge that children gain in the early years about people they can trust. The school helps pupils care for their own well-being. Pupils learn to reflect on things that are going well for them or when they might need some help.

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The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to care for the world around them. For instance, pupils participate eagerly in a ‘re-wilding’ project. They collect acorns and grow them into saplings to plant in a local forest. Pupils raise money for charities and help to run community events, such as a VE Day tea party. These experiences help pupils to develop their understanding of citizenship.

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Pupils are prepared well for their future lives. They learn about democracy by voting for the school council, for example. They gain an understanding of different faiths and religions and of diverse role models in history. The school helps children begin to find out about future jobs and careers through its ‘apprentice’ programme.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Most pupils live up to these expectations. Pupils who need help to attend more regularly or to manage their behaviour receive sensitive support from staff.

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Trustees and leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Together, they have ensured that the school has made improvements to the quality of education. Trustees ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties. They gain the insights they need to hold leaders to account, while being mindful of staff’s workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school is still identifying precisely the knowledge that pupils need to learn and by when. This means that pupils sometimes do not build their knowledge and skills cumulatively. The school should ensure that it identifies the essential knowledge that pupils need to gain in all subjects.  On occasions, teaching does not match pupils’ work well enough to their starting points. As a result, pupils do not gain the depth of understanding that they could. The school should ensure that teaching consistently builds from pupils’ existing knowledge. 24 and 25 June 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 April 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The pre-school accepts children from two years old.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school is part of the Wessex Multi-Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held discussions with school and trust leaders. Inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement. An inspector also held discussions with a group of trustees and school governors.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and parents’ free-text comments. An inspector met with some parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors spoke with staff to gather their views about the school and evaluated their responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Masters Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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