St Giles CofE Primary School

About St Giles CofE Primary School

St Giles CofE Primary School in Shropshire is a Church of England state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 5 to 11, currently home to 303 children against a capacity of 315. That near-full roll suggests the school is comfortably populated without being stretched. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 9.9%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools, indicating a relatively affluent intake. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 127 applications for just 45 places, with 46 of those coming as first preferences. Only 37 first-preference offers were made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.82 applicants per place. This level of competition signals that the school is a popular choice among local families, particularly those seeking a faith-based setting within the Shropshire authority.

Academically, St Giles holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a clear improvement on the Requires Improvement judgement it received in 2019. The inspection report highlights personal development as Outstanding, with behaviour and attitudes, leadership, and the quality of education all rated Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 53% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is below the Shropshire local authority average of 59%, placing the school 60th out of 127 primary schools in the county. In individual subjects, reading saw 84% of pupils at the expected level and 35% at a higher standard, while maths achieved 77% expected and 19% higher. Writing lagged slightly, with 63% reaching the expected standard and 16% at the higher level. The average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 104 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a Forest School, library, playing fields, art studios, music rooms and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England character. Sports provision covers athletics, cross country, dance, swimming, gymnastics and netball, while clubs include art, choir, science, drama and film. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing impairment and multi-sensory impairment. With no nursery or sixth form, the focus is squarely on the primary years. Given its oversubscription and faith designation, St Giles is best suited to families who value a Church of England education and are prepared to apply early. For those seeking an Outstanding-rated alternative, Coleham Primary School is 1.8 kilometres away.

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