Pontesbury CofE Primary School

Pontesbury CofE Primary is a warm, inclusive village school where pupils feel valued, happy and safe. Pupils behave well, are kind and respectful, and benefit from nurturing relationships with staff. The school has a clear ambition for pupils to achieve highly, and recent curriculum changes are helping more pupils learn well. Early years provision is highly effective, reading and phonics support have been strengthened, and provision for pupils with SEND is a notable strength. Leadership has been strengthened after a period of instability, with a clear shared vision, a dedicated staff team and effective governors. Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, outdoor learning and personal development opportunities, and attendance is positive. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it had not been inspected under section 5 since 2014. There are two main areas for improvement. The quality of pupils’ written work across the wider curriculum is variable, and staff do not consistently correct errors in presentation, spelling and punctuation, so some pupils repeat mistakes. In addition, pupils’ understanding of different cultures and fundamental British values is quite limited and needs to be developed more securely.

Strengths

• Warm, welcoming and inclusive school culture with nurturing relationships
• Pupils feel valued, happy and safe and behave well
• Pupils are extremely kind, respectful and polite
• Highly effective early years provision that prepares children very well
• Well-sequenced curriculum with clear key knowledge and staff training
• Effective phonics and reading support, including for pupils needing extra help
• Strong provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Positive attendance with effective support when concerns arise
• Wide range of clubs, outdoor learning and personal development opportunities
• Leadership capacity strengthened with clear vision and effective governors
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ written work across the wider curriculum is variable in quality
• Staff do not consistently correct presentation, spelling and punctuation errors
• Some pupils repeat writing mistakes over time, which impedes their learning
• Pupils’ understanding of different cultures and fundamental British values is limited
• The curriculum for cultural understanding and British values is not developed well enough

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 Pontesbury CofE Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.1% 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 Pontesbury CofE 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 Pontesbury CofE Primary School had 26.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.2% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Pontesbury CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Pontesbury CofE Primary School received £6,366 and spent £6,364 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £76,000 (£360 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 Shrewsbury · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

What is Pontesbury CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pontesbury CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Pontesbury CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pontesbury CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Pontesbury CofE Primary School have?

Pontesbury CofE Primary School has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pontesbury CofE Primary School cover?

Pontesbury CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Pontesbury CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pontesbury CofE Primary School?

Pontesbury CofE Primary School is at Bogey Lane, Pontesbury, Pontesbury CE Primary School, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 0TF.