Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery, Ellesmere
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ellesmere, part of Marches Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Shropshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery in detail
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a small, friendly, family-feel, caring school. We welcome visitors, new opportunities and strive to provide the very best of care, education and attention to you and your family. We are a Church of England state maintained Primary School and Nursery."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), 86% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery are Ellesmere Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 79% maths); St Mary's C.I.W. Aided School (3.6 miles); Madras Primary School (3.7 miles); and Whittington CofE (VA) Primary School (4.1 miles, Good, 67% reading, 88% maths).
Ellesmere Primary SchoolSt Mary's C.I.W. Aided SchoolMadras Primary SchoolWhittington CofE (VA) Primary School
The trust
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is one of 18 schools run by Marches Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery.
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), it was rated Outstanding in January 2016.
At a Glance
18.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
23.7
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
Results at Criftins CofE Primary School before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), the school Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery replaced. There are no figures for Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 88% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 75% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
Sports Leaders 2026
30 Sep 2026
Varsity Virtual Archery
30 Sep 2026
School Games Platinum Award
20 Jul 2026
Shropshire Primary Schools Half Marathon
29 Apr 2026
Gymnastics Competition 🤸♀️
23 Apr 2026
World Art Day! 🎨
15 Apr 2026
From Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
Term dates
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Shropshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is in Shropshire; for families living there:
Apply to Shropshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Shropshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Shropshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
96 pupils
103 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ellesmere
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ellesmere
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,420
Applications
2,582
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.8%
All primary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
22.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
96
Total Pupils
49
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
13.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,172
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Criftins CofE Primary School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published for Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), the school Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery replaced. There are no figures for Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery yet, so these are shown separately.
3.8%
Overall absence
9.9%
Persistent absence
81
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery
Are there exam results for Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), 86% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Criftins CofE Primary School (URN 123472), it was rated Outstanding in January 2016.
What is the catchment area for Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Shropshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery average 23.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery has around 96 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Shropshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery?
Criftins CofE Primary School and Nursery is at Criftins, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9LT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)