Sheldon School

Sheldon School is performing well, rated as 'Good' in all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision. Students feel a strong sense of community and are encouraged to excel, contributing to a positive and purposeful learning environment. The school has implemented a broad and ambitious curriculum, with teachers demonstrating high subject knowledge, which prepares students for future educational and vocational opportunities. However, there are concerns about inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum and the use of assessment information in some subjects, which need to be addressed to enhance student outcomes further.

Strengths

• Strong community ethos among students and staff.
• High expectations for pupil behaviour and academic performance.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities and clubs.
• Teachers have a high level of subject knowledge.
• Effective support for students with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Positive relationships and mentorship programs between older and younger pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupil outcomes currently below average compared to national results.
• Inconsistencies in the implementation of the revised curriculum.
• Assessment information not consistently used to identify student misconceptions.

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 Sheldon School attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 11.9% of pupils at Sheldon School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Sheldon School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 9.6% of pupils at Sheldon School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Sheldon School received £7,764 and spent £7,305 for each of its 1,605 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,831,000 (£1,141 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chippenham · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

What is Sheldon School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sheldon School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Sheldon School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sheldon School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Sheldon School have?

Sheldon School has 1,467 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sheldon School cover?

Sheldon School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Sheldon School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.5, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sheldon School?

Sheldon School is at Hardenhuish Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6HJ.