Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School

Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a good rating in most areas of its education provision. The school is committed to its Christian ethos, promoting values like kindness and resilience, which contribute positively to the students' learning environment. The curriculum is ambitious and well-planned, allowing pupils to develop a strong sense of confidence and community. However, there are concerns regarding behavior management, as some students do not consistently meet the school's expectations, leading to disruptions in learning. This inspection marks the school's first routine evaluation since the pandemic, providing context for its current performance.

Strengths

• Ambitious and well-planned curriculum
• Strong emphasis on teaching reading and phonics
• Pupils enjoy a range of extracurricular activities
• Inclusive environment for pupils with SEND
• Staff and governors are committed to continuous improvement

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent application of behavior management policies
• Occasional lack of curriculum adaptation to meet all pupils' needs

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 Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.9% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) 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 Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 16.9% of pupils at Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School received £7,540 and spent £7,692 for each of its 201 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £88,000 (-£437 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 Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School have?

Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School cover?

Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School?

Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School is at Church Street, Great Shelford, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB22 5EL.