Shap Endowed CofE Primary School

About Shap Endowed CofE Primary School

Shap Endowed CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in Westmorland and Furness, currently teaching 84 pupils against a capacity of 126. That leaves a fair amount of spare places, but the school is actually oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake: it received six applications for just three available places, with all three first-preference families offered a spot. The oversubscription ratio of 2:1 suggests a tight local market for this particular school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 13.8%, which is below the national primary average of around 23%, indicating a relatively affluent intake compared with the wider state school population. The school has nursery provision for three-year-olds, so families can join from the earliest stage. With a mixed gender intake and a Church of England religious character, it serves a largely rural community in the North West, where the local authority runs 121 primary schools in total.

Academically, the school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2019 rated it Good overall, and an ungraded inspection in July 2024 confirmed it remains Good. The breakdown shows Good ratings for early years provision, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 42% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the local authority average of 58% and placing the school 84th out of 99 primaries in Westmorland and Furness. However, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: 75% met the expected standard in reading and in writing, and average reading and maths scores were 105 and 100 respectively. Only 8% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading and maths, though 17% did so in writing. Progress measures are not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds from starting points.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for its size, including an outdoor playground, ICT suite, sports hall, forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cross country, rounders, swimming, athletics and cricket, while clubs include drama, chess, gardening and film club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disabilities. With only 84 pupils, class sizes are likely small, which may suit children who benefit from closer attention. The oversubscription suggests it is a popular choice locally, but the below-average KS2 results mean it may not be the strongest academic option in the area. It is best suited to families who value a small, rural Church of England setting with a broad extracurricular offer over top-tier exam outcomes.

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