Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School

About Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School

Of the 22 parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 82% said they would recommend Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School to other families. That's a strong vote of confidence, though it's worth noting that 18% said they wouldn't. The school is clearly popular locally: for its 12 Reception places in 2025/26, it received 26 applications, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.17 applicants per place. All six first-preference families were offered a spot, which suggests that if you live nearby and put it first, your chances are decent. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, rated it Good overall, with a standout Outstanding grade for early years provision. That's a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2022, when it was judged Requires Improvement across several areas including quality of education and leadership.

Academically, Shaw-cum-Donnington sits in the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly above the West Berkshire local authority average of 57%. The school ranks 24th out of 57 primary schools in the area, placing it in the bottom half locally but still within a reasonable range. Reading is a relative strength: 87% of pupils met the expected standard, and 27% reached the higher standard. Maths scores are solid too, with an average scaled score of 104 and 67% meeting expectations. Writing is slightly weaker, with 80% at expected and 20% at the higher level. Progress measures aren't available in the data, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds beyond raw attainment, but the results are broadly in line with national averages.

The school is small, with just 85 pupils against a capacity of 98, and it serves a Church of England community in West Berkshire. It offers a nursery provision for younger children and a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms and a forest school. Clubs include science, gardening, film and art, and sports on offer cover netball, athletics, swimming, cricket, tennis and cross country. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. That said, the Parent View question specifically about SEND support received zero responses, so it's hard to gauge how well those provisions work in practice. This is a school that suits families who value a small, community-focused primary with a religious character and a strong early years start.

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