Church Preen Primary School

About Church Preen Primary School

Church Preen Primary School is a small state primary in Shropshire that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 17 applications for just 8 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.13, meaning more than two families applied for every spot. All 8 first-preference applicants were offered a place, so being first choice matters here. The school is led by headteacher Marilyn Hunt and has no religious character. With only 36 pupils on roll against a capacity of 91, it is significantly undersubscribed in terms of total numbers, but the oversubscription for Reception places suggests strong local demand for the early years. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024 rated it Good overall, with Good across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This is a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2016, but the school remains well-regarded.

Academically, Church Preen’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%. In the local authority rankings, the school sits at 53rd out of 127 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half. However, individual subject results are stronger: 86% of pupils met the expected standard in both reading and maths, and 43% reached the higher standard in reading, compared to just 14% in maths and writing. The average reading score was 110, and the average maths score was 105. The school’s ranking nationally places it in the 62nd percentile, and within the West Midlands it sits at the 62nd percentile as well. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 30.6%, above the national average, which may partly explain the dip in combined attainment.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a sports hall, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision includes tennis, swimming, dance and cricket, while extracurricular clubs cover gardening, science and drama. For pupils with additional needs, the school has specific provisions for dyslexia and hearing impairment. Church Preen is a non-boarding, non-denominational school with no nursery or sixth form provision. Given its small size and rural setting in Shropshire, it will particularly suit families who value a close-knit, community-focused primary with strong individual subject results in reading and maths, and who are prepared to compete for a Reception place. The sensory room and targeted SEND support also make it a viable option for children with specific learning or hearing needs.

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