Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School, Newbury
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Newbury. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 21 schools in Newbury with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Berkshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 71% in West Berkshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School are The Winchcombe School (0.4 miles, Good, 72% reading, 79% maths); Speenhamland School (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 70% maths); Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery (0.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 87% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths).
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
The Winchcombe SchoolSpeenhamland SchoolRobert Sandilands Primary School and NurserySt Joseph's Catholic Primary School
What parents say
22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 40% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (40%).
Who goes there
34.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 20 pupils (22%) received SEN support and 1 (1.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newbury Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bastion Sreeet, 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 175 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Berkshire (26), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School are Trinity School (0.3 miles) and St Bartholomew's School (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This caring village school creates a warm, inclusive environment where every child feels they belong. Staff know pupils well and are committed to helping every child succeed, with particularly outstanding provision in early years. The school offers a balanced curriculum with a strong focus on reading and enrichment activities that broaden pupils' horizons.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding early years provision with children making excellent academic and personal progress
- Strong reading culture with effective phonics programme helping pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Excellent leadership and staff commitment to high-quality education and professional development
- Calm, orderly classrooms where pupils show pride in their work and strong motivation to achieve
- Well-planned enrichment programme including educational visits, theatre trips and residential experiences
Areas for Improvement
- In some foundation subjects, task design does not give pupils enough opportunities to think deeply, reason and solve problems independently
- Pupils recall facts well but are less secure in applying subject-specific skills independently
- Attendance needs to continue improving for some pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Educational visits to museums and theatre, places of worship, residential trips including abseiling, school council work supporting local charities
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School is a village school at the heart of the community where warm friendships flourish and pupils feel safe and happy. The school has improved significantly from its previous 'requires improvement' rating, with strong leadership and high expectations driving successful pupil outcomes.
At a Glance
34.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 87% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 67% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 80% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.3
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
23.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School.
- Let Them Play Newbury740m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School is in West Berkshire; for families living there:
Apply to West Berkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 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 Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
Will you get a place at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Berkshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Berkshire 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
88%
Available places
86 pupils
98 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newbury
Across West Berkshire council
Places available
2,024
Applications
1,547
Got 1st preference
90.8%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across West Berkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
91
Total Pupils
52
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
11.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,303
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,828
Per pupil
£702k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
18.1%
Persistent absence
83
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
Questions parents ask about Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School
What are SATs results like at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Of the pupils at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in maths.
What is Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School is oversubscribed, West Berkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 98 places.
How big are the classes at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Classes at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School average 21.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School has around 91 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
6% of sessions were missed at Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School in 2024/25. 18.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Apply through West Berkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School 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.
Does Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School: Let Them Play Newbury (740m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Berkshire is 3 (the median across 99 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School?
Shaw-cum-Donnington C.E. Primary School is at Love Lane, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2JG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)