Shipton Bellinger Primary School

Shipton Bellinger Primary is a small primary school where pupils feel safe, behaviour has improved, and learning is rarely disrupted. Personal development and leadership are strong, with pupils taking on leadership roles, enjoying clubs, and showing respect for differences. New leaders have introduced an ambitious, broad curriculum and made reading, phonics and support for pupils with SEND high priorities. However, the quality of education and early years provision require improvement. Many curriculum changes are still very new and not fully embedded, so gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills remain and outcomes have not yet improved. The revised early years curriculum is incomplete, and some children are not acquiring the fundamental knowledge and skills they need for key stage 1. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher became substantive in November 2024. Safeguarding is effective, governors are knowledgeable, and staff feel well supported.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and know adults will help with worries
• Behaviour has improved and learning is rarely disrupted
• Pupils with challenging behaviour needs are well supported
• Bullying incidents are dealt with quickly and fairly
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles and clubs
• The curriculum is ambitious, broad and engaging
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and check for misconceptions
• Reading and phonics are a top priority with well-trained staff
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and included ambitiously
• Pupils learn to respect different cultures and religions
• Governors are knowledgeable and offer challenge and support
• Staff feel their well-being is considered carefully

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement
• Curriculum changes are not fully implemented across all subjects
• Gaps in pupils' subject knowledge and skills have not been fully addressed
• Outcomes for pupils have not yet improved
• Early years provision requires improvement
• The revised early years curriculum is not yet complete
• Some early years children do not acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for key stage 1
• Some pupils still have gaps in phonics and are not reading as fluently as they should

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 Shipton Bellinger Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.3% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Shipton Bellinger 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 Shipton Bellinger Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 86.1% 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, 22.4% of pupils at Shipton Bellinger Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.8% 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 Shipton Bellinger Primary School received £9,296 and spent £9,503 for each of its 116 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £80,000 (-£688 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).

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What is Shipton Bellinger Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shipton Bellinger Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Shipton Bellinger Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shipton Bellinger Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Shipton Bellinger Primary School have?

Shipton Bellinger Primary School has 116 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shipton Bellinger Primary School cover?

Shipton Bellinger Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Shipton Bellinger Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Shipton Bellinger Primary School?

Shipton Bellinger Primary School is at 3 Parkhouse Road, Shipton Bellinger, Tidworth, Hampshire, SP9 7TW.