Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool

Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool is a nurturing, highly ambitious school where pupils thrive and feel included. Inspectors found the school highly effective in behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years, with the quality of education judged good. Pupils benefit from a broad and exciting curriculum, strong teaching, and a well-established focus on reading from the start. Pupils with SEND are supported very effectively, children in the early years make an exceptionally strong start, and pupils behave exceptionally well. Personal development is a real strength, with a wide range of clubs, trips, responsibilities and community activities helping pupils become confident, thoughtful citizens. Leadership and governance are exceptionally strong, and staff feel well supported. The main area for improvement is writing. Some pupils do not form or position letters correctly, and staff do not always correct these misconceptions; more confident writers also lack time to correct spellings and improve presentation. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is a small community primary with a preschool, and this was its first graded inspection under section 5.

Strengths

• Nurturing and highly ambitious culture where pupils thrive and feel included
• Broad, exciting curriculum helps pupils develop a love of learning
• Reading is prioritised from the start with highly skilled phonics teaching
• Pupils at early stages of reading receive timely and effective catch-up support
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and introduce new learning well
• Pupils with SEND are identified and supported very effectively
• Children make an exceptionally strong start in the early years
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and show maturity, kindness and empathy
• Personal development provision is impressive, with clubs, trips and community activities
• Pupils develop a deep understanding of British values and their role as citizens
• Leadership and management are exceptionally strong, with clear improvement priorities
• Governors know the school well and are highly ambitious for all pupils
• Staff feel well supported, and leaders are mindful of workload and wellbeing
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not form or position letters correctly when writing, and misconceptions are not always corrected
• More confident writers are not given time to correct spellings and improve presentation

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 Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool attended 95.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool 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 Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool had 19.0 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, 5.0% of pupils at Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% 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 Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool received £8,205 and spent £7,370 for each of its 95 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £97,000 (£1,025 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 Shifnal · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

What is Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool last inspected by Ofsted?

Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool have?

Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool has 100 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool cover?

Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool?

Sheriffhales Primary School and Preschool is at Sheriffhales, Sheriffhales, Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 8RA.