Shalford Infant School

Shalford Infant School is performing well overall, achieving good ratings in all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This inspection was significant as it was the school's first since converting to an academy in November 2019, and it reflects changes in the school’s structure and demographics. Students demonstrate a strong enthusiasm for learning, supported by clear behavioural expectations and a curriculum designed to engage even the youngest learners with valuable experiences.

Strengths

• Pupils are confident, inquisitive, and enthusiastic about learning.
• Strong emphasis on values like empathy and resilience in school culture.
• Well-structured phonics programme supporting early reading success.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Positive attitudes towards learning and appreciation for school activities.
• High-quality library and reading resources that engage pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum across some subjects.
• Some subject leaders are in early stages of development.
• Variable quality of early years curriculum implementation.

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 Shalford Infant School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.5% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Shalford Infant 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 Shalford Infant School had 15.1 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, 5.6% of pupils at Shalford Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% 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 Shalford Infant School received £7,932 and spent £7,730 for each of its 109 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £144,000 (£1,326 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Learning Partners Academy Trust, income was £7,680 and spending £7,620 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 Guildford · Surrey local authority: places and applications

Shalford Infant School is part of Learning Partners Academy Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Tillingbourne Junior School Guildford
• Guildford County School Guildford
• Sandfield Primary School Guildford
• Surrey Maths School Guildford
• Loseley Fields Primary School Godalming
• Boxgrove Primary School Guildford
• Kings College Guildford Guildford
• Guildford Grove Primary School Guildford
• George Abbot School Guildford
• Stoughton Infant School Guildford

What is Shalford Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shalford Infant School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Shalford Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shalford Infant School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Shalford Infant School have?

Shalford Infant School has 90 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shalford Infant School cover?

Shalford Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Shalford Infant School?

Shalford Infant School is at Shalford Infant School, Station Row, Shalford, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 8BY.