Shipston High School
100%
Capacity
600
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Shipston High School
Shipston High School, a mixed state secondary for 11-16 year olds in Warwickshire, holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, with every category — quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management — all judged Good. The single most telling exam metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.12, which the Department for Education bands as 'Average'. This means that, on average, pupils achieve slightly below the national expected level of progress across eight GCSE subjects. The school's Attainment 8 score sits at 46.5, and just over half of pupils (51.8%) achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. While these figures are solid, they place Shipston 21st out of 42 secondary schools in the local authority, and 9th out of 10 schools in the Stratford-on-Avon district specifically.
Digging deeper into the Progress 8 breakdown reveals a mixed picture. Pupils made exactly expected progress in maths (0.01), but fell behind in English (-0.34) and open subjects (-0.17). The EBacc entry rate is 27.2%, with 14.9% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above across the full EBacc combination. The school's EBacc average point score is 4.05. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is 0.02, so Shipston's -0.12 is slightly below the Warwickshire norm. The school's ranking within the West Midlands region is 181st out of 371 schools, placing it in the bottom half nationally (57th percentile). Compared with its previous inspection in 2015, which also rated the school Good overall, the current Ofsted report shows consistent quality across all areas, with no decline or improvement in the overall rating.
The school is at full capacity with 600 pupils and was oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 161 applications for 86 places, with 59 first-preference offers made — a ratio of nearly two applicants per place. Facilities include science labs, an ICT suite, art studios, tennis courts, an astro turf, and a dining hall. Sports offered range from athletics and netball to rowing and swimming, and clubs include Book Club, Chess, Model UN, Debate, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With no sixth form, this is a school for families focused on the secondary years only. It suits parents who value a well-rated, oversubscribed local school with a wide range of extracurricular activities and strong SEND support, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit slightly below the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Darlingscote Road, Shipston-on-Stour, Stratford-on-Avon, CV36 4DY |
| Headteacher | Andrew Larkin |
| Local Authority | Warwickshire |
| Number of Pupils | 600 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 23.2% |
| School Capacity | 600 / 600 (100% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Jul 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 18 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.12)
1799th of 3,141
Nationally
181st of 371
In West Midlands
9th of 10
In Stratford-on-Avon
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2336%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 110 pupils).
- FE college43%
- School sixth form (stay)36%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Not sustained6%
- Employment5%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed86
161
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
59 families put this school as their 1st choice (37% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: shipstonhigh.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British89.0%
- White (other)3.2%
- Mixed2.9%
- Asian1.6%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Shipston High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Darlingscote Road, Shipston-on-Stour
Stratford-on-Avon, CV36 4DY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Reviews on Other Platforms
External reviews are provided by third-party platforms and are not verified by Classpot.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Shipston High School!
Write a Review