Lower Heath CofE Primary School

Lower Heath CofE Primary School has been rated as good in all areas of its provision during its first inspection since becoming part of the Marches Multi Academy Trust. The school offers a warm and welcoming environment where strong relationships between staff and pupils are nurtured, contributing positively to the educational experience. The leaders' commitment to improving education is evident, with a well-structured curriculum that has begun to show promising results, particularly in reading and early years education, despite some challenges in assessment practices.

Strengths

• Strong and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils
• Successful recent rejuvenation of the reading curriculum
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• High standards of behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Well-planned phonics curriculum leading to strong progress in reading

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers occasionally lack sufficient subject knowledge in foundation subjects
• Inconsistent use of assessment to identify and address gaps in learning
• Narrow range of extra-curricular activities not well suited to pupils' interests

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 Lower Heath CofE Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.0% 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 Lower Heath 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 Lower Heath CofE Primary School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Lower Heath CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% 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 Lower Heath CofE Primary School received £8,813 and spent £7,881 for each of its 99 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £158,000 (£1,595 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Marches Academy Trust, income was £8,021 and spending £7,895 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 Whitchurch · Shropshire local authority: places and applications

Lower Heath CofE Primary School is part of Marches Academy Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery Whitchurch
• Sir John Talbot's School Whitchurch
• Woodlands School Shrewsbury
• Longlands Primary School Market Drayton
• The Grove School Market Drayton
• Cockshutt CofE Primary School and Nursery Ellesmere
• Weston Lullingfields Church of England Primary School and Nursery Shrewsbury
• Grange Primary School Shrewsbury
• Shrewsbury Academy Shrewsbury
• Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery Ellesmere

What is Lower Heath CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lower Heath CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Lower Heath CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lower Heath CofE Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Lower Heath CofE Primary School have?

Lower Heath CofE Primary School has 105 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lower Heath CofE Primary School cover?

Lower Heath CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lower Heath CofE Primary School?

Lower Heath CofE Primary School is at Lower Heath, Prees, Lower Heath Ce Primary School, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 2BT.