Sharow Church of England Primary School

About Sharow Church of England Primary School

Sharow Church of England Primary School is a small village primary with 89 pupils on roll against a capacity of 99, meaning it operates below its maximum but still draws strong local demand. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 25 applications for just 10 places, with nine of those coming as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.5. That level of competition is notable for a school of this size. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 19.8 per cent, which is above the national average for primary schools and suggests a more diverse intake than you might expect in a rural Church of England setting. The school has a nursery provision attached, so children can join from age three. Headteacher Jacqui Palmer leads a mixed-gender, state-funded primary that serves the village of Sharow in North Yorkshire.

Academically, Sharow's most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025 judged the school Good across all areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This represents a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in February 2023, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 50 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 60 per cent. Reading was a relative strength, with 70 per cent reaching the expected standard and 40 per cent achieving the higher standard. Maths and writing expected rates were 50 per cent and 60 per cent respectively. The school's average reading score was 109, and maths 101. Nationally, Sharow ranks in the bottom half of primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 77th percentile.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, outdoor playground, gymnasium, playing fields and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, tennis, cross country, rounders and dance, while clubs include drama, choir, eco club, art club, chess and film club. SEND support is available for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 36 families between September 2024 and September 2025 show strong satisfaction: 92 per cent agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, and 97 per cent felt their child is safe. However, 83 per cent would recommend the school, and concerns about SEND support and bullying handling drew more mixed responses. This is a school that suits families seeking a small, church-affiliated village primary with a strong community feel and improving Ofsted grades, but one where academic outcomes sit below the local average.

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