Elmley Castle CofE First School

Elmley Castle CofE First School is a small, nurturing village school that has experienced significant staffing change since its last inspection. The new executive headteacher, head of school and other senior staff joined in January 2026, and governors have managed the transition well. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school remains calm, inclusive and focused on pupils' wellbeing. Attendance and behaviour are clear strengths: pupils attend regularly, conduct themselves well and feel safe. Early years provision is strong, with a well-designed curriculum, good communication and language work, and effective early reading. Leadership and governance are effective, personal development is well planned, and phonics and mental arithmetic are particular strengths. Parents are highly positive. However, achievement, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion require attention. Work in books shows uneven progress across subjects and year groups, and writing is a significant weakness. Curriculum implementation varies, misconceptions are not always addressed, and support for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care is not consistently effective or well evaluated. Leaders recognise these issues and have begun making improvements, but more work is needed to ensure all pupils achieve as well as they should.

Strengths

• Attendance is above the national average, including for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils behave well, feel safe and show positive attitudes to learning.
• Early years provision gives children secure foundations for Year 1.
• Leadership and governance remain effective despite significant staffing changes.
• Personal development and wellbeing are well structured and prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.
• Phonics and mental arithmetic are strengths, with targeted support helping pupils catch up.
• Pupils benefit from a broad enrichment offer, including forest school, clubs and leadership roles.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the support they receive.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is inconsistent across subjects and year groups.
• Writing is underdeveloped, with some pupils unable to write accurate sentences independently.
• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent, so pupils do not always build the knowledge they need.
• Teaching does not always adapt well to pupils' prior knowledge or address misconceptions.
• Assessment does not consistently check retention over time or identify gaps in learning.
• Provision and leadership for pupils with SEND are still developing.
• Personalised learning plans lack precision and are not routinely reviewed.
• Leaders do not evaluate the impact of additional support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND robustly.
• Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND or known to social care are variable.

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 Elmley Castle CofE First School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.3% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Elmley Castle CofE First 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 Elmley Castle CofE First School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Elmley Castle CofE First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 Elmley Castle CofE First School received £10,179 and spent £10,927 for each of its 76 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £200,000 (-£2,654 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 Pershore · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Elmley Castle CofE First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elmley Castle CofE First School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Elmley Castle CofE First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Elmley Castle CofE First School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Elmley Castle CofE First School have?

Elmley Castle CofE First School has 79 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elmley Castle CofE First School cover?

Elmley Castle CofE First School for pupils aged 5 to 10.

Where is Elmley Castle CofE First School?

Elmley Castle CofE First School is at Main Street, Elmley Castle, Elmley Castle Cofe, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 3HS.