Shirley Community Primary School

Shirley Community Primary School demonstrates a strong overall performance, achieving a good rating across all inspected areas. The school has established itself as a nurturing and inclusive environment where pupils celebrate their diverse backgrounds and learn effectively. The curriculum is ambitious, focusing on early reading and writing, with staff well-trained to deliver the content, which supports students' academic growth, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Despite these strengths, there are areas for improvement, particularly regarding curriculum planning for some subjects and the clarity needed for pupils transitioning between key stages. These concerns have been noted for action to ensure that all students are fully prepared for their educational progression.

Strengths

• Diverse and inclusive environment that celebrates differences.
• Strong focus on early reading and phonics.
• Pupils develop positive relationships and attitudes towards learning.
• Well-structured clubs catering to a variety of interests.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• High-quality training for staff enhancing teaching practices.
• Clear routines in early years fostering engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment data by subject leaders.
• Lack of clarity in some curriculum areas affecting transition readiness.

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 Shirley Community Primary School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.5% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Shirley Community 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 Shirley Community Primary School had 17.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.2% 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, 20.8% of pupils at Shirley Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.6% 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 Shirley Community Primary School received £9,899 and spent £10,079 for each of its 303 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £236,000 (-£777 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cambridge · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

What is Shirley Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shirley Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Shirley Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shirley Community Primary School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Shirley Community Primary School have?

Shirley Community Primary School has 303 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shirley Community Primary School cover?

Shirley Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Shirley Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Shirley Community Primary School?

Shirley Community Primary School is at Nuffield Road, Chesterton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 1TF.