Buildwas Academy

About Buildwas Academy

Buildwas Academy is a small state primary school in Shropshire, with just 75 pupils on roll and a capacity of 105. It sits in the middle of the local authority’s primary school rankings, coming 49th out of 88 schools of the same type. That places it in the bottom half of Shropshire primaries, though the gap to the top is clear: the three highest-ranked peers in the area are Stottesdon CofE Primary School, St Lucia's CofE Primary School & Nursery, and Minsterley Primary School, all scoring significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The school is mixed, non-religious, and has a nursery provision for children from age three. Headteacher Laura Sherratt leads a team that has seen the school’s Ofsted rating drop from Good to Requires Improvement in its most recent graded inspection in 2024, though several individual areas remain strong.

Academically, Buildwas Academy’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 57%, just below the Shropshire local authority average of 59%. Reading was a standout: every pupil (100%) met the expected standard, and 29% achieved a higher score. Maths and writing both saw 71% of pupils at the expected level, while the higher-standard figures were lower at 14% each. Average scores were 107 in reading and 102 in maths. The school’s national ranking places it in the bottom 50% of primaries, at the 64th percentile. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds beyond these attainment figures. The Ofsted inspection noted that the quality of education requires improvement, but behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management were all judged Good.

For families considering Buildwas, the school offers a broad range of facilities including an ICT suite, art studios, a library, playing fields, a sports hall, and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, netball, dance, gymnastics, swimming and athletics, while clubs range from science and coding to drama, choir and film club. The school has dedicated SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for 2025/26 show the school is oversubscribed: 12 applications for 7 places, with 5 first-preference offers made. This suggests it is a popular choice locally despite the Requires Improvement rating. It may particularly suit families who value a small, community-focused setting with strong early years provision and a good range of extracurricular activities, and who are comfortable with a school that is working to improve its academic outcomes.

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