Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery

About Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery

Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery is a small Church of England state primary in Shropshire, currently teaching 122 pupils against a capacity that clearly leaves room for more. The school’s free school meal rate sits at 22.5%, notably above the national average for primary schools, indicating a higher-than-typical proportion of pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite this, demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 44 applications for just 14 places, with 20 of those applications coming as first preferences. That works out at over three applicants per place, and only 13 first-preference offers were made, so securing a spot is far from guaranteed. The school also offers nursery provision for children from age two, which may be a practical draw for local families looking for continuity through to Year 6. Headteacher Rowena Kaminski leads a mixed-gender, non-selective school that serves a largely rural catchment in the West Midlands.

Academically, Tilstock’s most recent Key Stage 2 results place it in the bottom half of Shropshire primary schools. In the 2023/24 assessments, just 44% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 59%. That gap is significant. Average scores tell a slightly more nuanced story: reading averaged 100, which is exactly the national benchmark, while maths averaged 96, a few points below. No pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, though 11% did so in reading and 22% in writing. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say whether pupils are improving at a typical rate. The school’s Ofsted inspection in April 2022 rated it Good across all categories, including early years provision, behaviour and leadership — a notable improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2016, which suggests the school has turned a corner under current leadership.

Facilities are generous for a school of this size: there is a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, a library and even a chapel. Clubs include Eco Club, Coding, Drama and Gardening, and sports offered range from athletics and netball to cross country and gymnastics. The school’s SEND register is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder, so it is well equipped to support a range of additional needs. With oversubscription at 3.14 applicants per place, families should be prepared to apply early and consider their catchment position. Tilstock will suit parents who value a small, church-affiliated primary with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who are comfortable with academic results that sit below the local average.

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