Ellesmere Primary School

About Ellesmere Primary School

Ellesmere Primary School sits slightly below the Shropshire local authority average for its key stage 2 headline measure, with 53% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against a county average of 59%. That places the school 60th out of 88 primaries in Shropshire, putting it in the bottom half of the LA table. The gap is modest but worth noting for parents weighing up options. On the plus side, the school's maths average score of 104 is solid, and 69% of pupils hit the expected standard in maths individually, which is a stronger showing than the combined figure might suggest. Reading and writing expected rates sit at 59% and 76% respectively, so writing is a relative strength. The proportion reaching the higher standard across all three subjects is 10%, which is fairly typical for a school in this bracket. Ellesmere's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated it Good across the board, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision, so the school is performing well in the round even if the headline exam figure trails the LA norm.

The Ofsted team noted Good ratings for quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision, with the previous 2016 inspection also awarding Good overall. Parent feedback is broadly positive: 94% of the 66 respondents would recommend the school, and 92% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. On SEND support, 77% of parents felt the school gives children the help they need, though 15% strongly disagreed, which is a notable minority. The school has a range of SEND provisions on offer, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social and emotional mental health, plus a resourced provision. The parent view period ran from September 2024 to September 2025, so the data is current. On behaviour, 89% agreed the school ensures pupils are well behaved, and 66% felt bullying is dealt with quickly, though a large chunk marked that question as not applicable, which may mean it's not a common issue.

Ellesmere is a state primary for ages 3 to 11, with a nursery on site, and is non-denominational. It has capacity for 420 pupils and currently has 372 on roll, so there is some headroom. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 44 first-preference applications for 44 places, with 52 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.18. That suggests it's a popular choice locally but not fiercely competitive. Facilities include a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school area, an ICT suite, and a chapel. Clubs range from science and coding to gardening and film club, and sports offered include swimming, athletics, cricket and football. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery, about 3 km away, which might be worth a look for families who prioritise that top grade. Ellesmere suits families who want a Good-rated community primary with decent maths outcomes, a strong writing record, and a broad set of extracurriculars, and who are comfortable that the combined reading, writing and maths figure sits a little below the Shropshire average.

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