Shepherd Primary

Shepherd Primary School is performing well overall, receiving a good rating in all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and early years provision. The school has a friendly atmosphere where pupils enjoy learning and feel safe, participating actively in various subjects and extracurricular activities. There is a strong emphasis on an ambitious curriculum, particularly in early reading and foundational skills that prepare children for subsequent years. However, there are identified gaps in some subjects and reading proficiency for older pupils, highlighting areas for ongoing improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy practical work and hands-on learning experiences.
• Early years provision prepares children effectively for Year 1.
• Leaders promote an ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge year on year.
• Most pupils become fluent and independent readers as they progress.
• Staff appreciate professional development opportunities provided by school leaders.
• Pupils engage in extra-curricular clubs and take on leadership roles.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in key knowledge in foundation subjects.
• A few older pupils are not catching up quickly in reading.
• Inconsistent application of the behaviour policy by some adults.

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 Shepherd Primary attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.9% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Shepherd Primary 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 Shepherd Primary had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.2% of pupils at Shepherd Primary were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 Shepherd Primary received £8,404 and spent £8,449 for each of its 173 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £94,000 (£543 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 Rickmansworth · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Shepherd Primary's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shepherd Primary is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Shepherd Primary last inspected by Ofsted?

Shepherd Primary was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Shepherd Primary have?

Shepherd Primary has 179 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shepherd Primary cover?

Shepherd Primary for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Shepherd Primary's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 37% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Shepherd Primary?

Shepherd Primary is at Shepherd's Lane, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 8JJ.