Shefford C.E. Primary School

Shefford C.E. Primary School is a small, federated church primary school that educates pupils from both Shefford and Chaddleworth St Andrew’s C.E. Primary School. It has a new headteacher appointed in September 2025, a high proportion of pupils with SEN support, and was inspected at the same time as its federated partner. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school is working at the expected standard across achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development; attendance and behaviour is the area needing attention. Pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are generally well supported, make appropriate progress and are prepared for the next stage. Early years provision, reading and phonics, writing, inclusion, leadership and parent partnerships are particular strengths. The main concern is that the recently revised behaviour-for-learning policy is not yet fully embedded, so poor behaviour is sometimes not addressed consistently, even though pupils are generally happy, respectful and safe. Other priorities include strengthening mathematics teaching and times tables knowledge, making curriculum adaptation more precise for pupils who need additional support, developing pupils’ understanding of British values, and helping governors provide more robust support and challenge across the federation. Attendance is improving, but the school still has further work to do to secure consistently positive attitudes and behaviour across all classrooms.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met through an open and positive safeguarding culture.
• Early years provision is well led and helps children achieve well and feel included.
• The curriculum is well designed and sequenced to build essential knowledge.
• Reading and phonics are taught effectively, with books matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.
• Writing is a clear focus, with neat handwriting, accurate spelling and strong vocabulary development.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and high expectations for pupils’ learning.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported cohesively with high expectations.
• Disadvantaged pupils and vulnerable pupils are well supported to access the curriculum and school life.
• Leaders have a clear, ambitious vision and have acted quickly and decisively.
• Staff professional development is effective, especially in reading, writing, mathematics and behaviour.
• Governors understand their statutory duties and support staff workload and wellbeing.
• Relationships with parents and carers are very positive and communication is effective.
• Personal development is well planned, including inclusive enrichment and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils feel safe, are generally respectful, and bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Attendance is improving over time, including for persistently absent pupils and pupils with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• The recently revised behaviour-for-learning policy is not fully embedded, so poor behaviour is not always addressed consistently.
• Some pupils do not routinely meet the expected standard of positive behaviour, and further work is needed across classrooms.
• Mathematics lessons do not consistently strengthen pupils’ learning, including multiplication facts.
• Year 4 multiplication tables check outcomes are below national averages.
• A small proportion of pupils need more precise support to access and build knowledge and skills securely.
• Curriculum adaptation is not consistently precise for pupils who need additional support across all subjects.
• The personal development programme’s teaching of British values could be developed further, including pupils’ understanding of respect and responsibilities.
• Governors need to further develop their knowledge and expertise to provide robust support and challenge to leaders across the federation.
• Published outcomes in mathematics need to improve over time, including times tables knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Shefford C.E. Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.8% of pupils at Shefford C.E. Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Shefford C.E. Primary School had 9.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.2% of pupils at Shefford C.E. Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Shefford C.E. Primary School received £11,440 and spent £11,439 for each of its 82 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £77,000 (£944 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hungerford · West Berkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Shefford C.E. Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shefford C.E. Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Shefford C.E. Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shefford C.E. Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Shefford C.E. Primary School have?

Shefford C.E. Primary School has 52 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shefford C.E. Primary School cover?

Shefford C.E. Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Shefford C.E. Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Shefford C.E. Primary School?

Shefford C.E. Primary School is at Wantage Road, Great Shefford, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 7DB.