Wistanstow CofE Primary School

Wistanstow C of E Primary is a small village school in The Edge Federation that pupils are proud to attend. Behaviour and personal development are strong: pupils are calm, kind, attend regularly and benefit from a caring culture, extracurricular opportunities and work preparing them for life in modern Britain. Safeguarding is effective, and reading is a clear priority, with daily phonics for early readers. However, the quality of education and leadership and management require improvement, as does early years provision. Expectations have been too low in the past, and although a revised curriculum is now in place, it is not yet taught consistently well or fully impacting pupils' knowledge. Some staff explanations and tasks are not effective, pupils do not always get enough practice, and pupils with SEND do not consistently receive the adaptations they need. Phonics delivery varies, which limits fluency for some. The school has recently experienced considerable change and now has a clear vision, with staff feeling supported. Governance is committed but does not yet receive precise enough information about educational quality to identify and address gaps in pupils' learning. Most parents are positive, though the school recognises a need to engage more parents in its improvement journey.

Strengths

• Pupils are enthusiastic, proud and build lasting friendships in a caring school community.
• Pupils behave well, attend regularly and create a calm, purposeful learning environment.
• Personal development is a strength, including preparation for life in modern Britain and understanding of other cultures and faiths.
• Reading is prioritised, with daily phonics and support for pupils who fall behind.
• Pupils benefit from extracurricular activities, including sport, which build confidence and self-esteem.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Staff share a clear improvement vision and feel well supported.
• Governance is committed and cares about pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Academic expectations have been too low in the past.
• The revised curriculum is not yet taught consistently well across subjects.
• Variation in staff expertise means explanations and tasks do not always help pupils learn key information.
• Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise new learning.
• Pupils with SEND do not consistently receive well-adapted support to access the curriculum.
• Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not make sufficient progress to be fully prepared for secondary school.
• Phonics delivery varies, and some children lack sufficient practice in sounding out.
• Monitoring of the revised curriculum's impact on pupils' knowledge is not well established.
• Governors do not receive precise enough information about the quality of education to identify gaps.
• Further work is needed to engage all parents in the school's improvement journey.

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 Wistanstow CofE Primary School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.6% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Wistanstow 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 Wistanstow CofE Primary School had 24.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.3% 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, 7.8% of pupils at Wistanstow CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 Wistanstow CofE Primary School received £10,825 and spent £11,327 for each of its 51 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£298 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 Craven Arms · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

What is Wistanstow CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wistanstow CofE Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Wistanstow CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wistanstow CofE Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Wistanstow CofE Primary School have?

Wistanstow CofE Primary School has 51 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wistanstow CofE Primary School cover?

Wistanstow CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 30% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wistanstow CofE Primary School?

Wistanstow CofE Primary School is at Wistanstow, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 8DQ.