Shalford Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 5 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Church End, Shalford, Braintree, CM7 5EZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Shalford Primary School is a primary school in Braintree for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 1st of 16 primary schools in Braintree. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2019.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 24 September 2019, report published 16 October 2019

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 December 2024

Pupils say this is a welcoming and friendly school that they would give 'a five star rating'. Pupils are proud to show other families around the school, and feel lucky to be here. Pupils enjoy their learning. They particularly like writing different stories and articulate how to learn from their mistakes in English and mathematics. Most pupils achieve well. Pupils participate in trips to bring learning to life. These include visiting local historical sites. Pupils also benefit from meeting with visitors to the school, such as those conducting science experiments. Pupils say these activities are 'educational and fun'. Pupils behave well. Staff have high expectations of their conduct and pupils rise to this well. Pupils feel safe and know a trusted adult will care for them. Pupils practise bell ringing with the church, perform at the village fete and have recently celebrated the school's 150th anniversary with the community. There are some after- school clubs on offer for pupils. These include multi-skills, choir and football. The school is currently extending the range of clubs to further appeal to pupils' talents and interests.

What the school should improve

  • Across the wider curriculum, staff do not consistently give pupils the support that they need to resolve weaknesses in their spelling, punctuation and use of grammar. As a result, the quality of pupils' written work across the curriculum does not always reflect how well they are learning or the ambition of the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff expectation of pupils' written work are consistently high across all subjects and throughout the school. This will enable pupils to develop the necessary skills to prepare them well for their future learning
  • In a few subjects, staff do not have the subject knowledge and skills needed to deliver the ambitious curriculum effectively. As a result pupils' learning is not as secure in these areas. The school needs to ensure that opportunities to improve teachers' knowledge and skills through training and monitoring are identified, planned and provided.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

15 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths87%

87%, 25 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths47%

47%, 39 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score110

110, 4 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score111

111, 6 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score111

111, 6 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

73 pupils on roll, with places for 105

Eligible for free school meals23.3%

23.3%, 3.2 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0%

0%, 21.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.1%

15.1%, 0.3 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.7%

2.7%, 3.3 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Shalford Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Wethersfield CofE VC Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good88% met the expected standard
Bocking Primary School3 milesOfsted: Good62% met the expected standard
Great Bardfield Primary School3 milesReport card: Expected standard45% met the expected standard
Rayne Primary and Nursery School3 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard48% met the expected standard
John Bunyan Primary School and Nursery3 milesOfsted: Good55% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
THE COMPASS PARTNERSHIP OF SCHOOLS
Age range
5 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Timothy Arding
Address
Church End, Shalford, Braintree, CM7 5EZ
Local authority
Essex
URN
142935

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.