Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School continues to uphold the high standards recognized in its previous outstanding inspection. The school provides a nurturing and inclusive environment where pupils thrive and enjoy learning. Families appreciate the strong relationships built between staff and students, contributing to a positive school culture. The curriculum is ambitious and well-designed, catering well to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in some foundation subjects, where the broad curriculum may hinder the retention of key knowledge needed for future success.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit high levels of enthusiasm and exceptional behavior.
• The school has a strong focus on reading, ensuring pupils develop fluency and confidence.
• Positive relationships foster an inclusive atmosphere that benefits all students.
• Personal development programs are tailored to meet the needs of pupils and families.
• Effective action is taken to reduce pupil absence, especially since the pandemic.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is too broad, which complicates the focus on essential knowledge.

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 Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.4% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery 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 Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 29.0% of pupils at Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 2024–25 Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School received £8,198 and spent £8,770 for each of its 155 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £363,000 (£2,353 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Samphire Star Education Trust, income was £8,517 and spending £9,007 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 Dover · Kent local authority: places and applications

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School is part of Samphire Star Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Barton Junior School Dover
• White Cliffs Primary and Nursery School Dover
• Astor Secondary School Dover

What is Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School have?

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School has 138 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School cover?

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School?

Shatterlocks Infant and Nursery School is at Heathfield Avenue, Heathfield Avenue. Dover Kent, Dover, Kent, CT16 2PB.