Shepherdswell Church of England Primary School, DOVER

Good
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.8km)Possible (~2.6km)Unlikely (~3.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Mark Lamb
Pupils:213 / 210 capacity
LA:Kent
Phone:01304830312
Address:Coldred Road, Shepherdswell, DOVER, CT15 7LH
Federation:The Federation of Shepherdswell Church of England and Eythorne Elvington
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:118691
UKPRN:10069093
Diocese:Diocese of Canterbury
Constituency:Dover and Deal
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a genuinely caring school where your child will feel safe, valued and included. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and adapt support to individual needs. With strong behaviour and attendance, a broad curriculum, and a focus on wellbeing alongside academics, children thrive both socially and academically.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent attendance and behaviour - consistently above national averages with calm, purposeful classrooms
  • Highly inclusive environment - barriers to learning are identified and removed quickly, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
  • Strong pastoral care and wellbeing - warm relationships, rare bullying, and pupils feel safe and valued
  • Well-sequenced curriculum with focus on phonics, reading and mathematics
  • Active leadership and governance committed to removing barriers and supporting continuous improvement

Areas for Improvement

  • Depth of knowledge varies across subjects and year groups - some inconsistency in quality of teaching
  • Achievement rated as 'expected standard' rather than 'strong' - room to raise attainment further
  • Need to ensure consistency in curriculum teaching quality across all subjects and year groups

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Forest school sessions, residential visits, themed days, music activities, sporting activities, school council, worship leaders, school librarians

Shepherdswell Church of England Primary School is a caring, inclusive community where pupils thrive and achieve well. The school has strong attendance and behaviour, with leaders creating an environment where all pupils, including those with additional needs, are supported to succeed.

At a Glance

16.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths+2ppWriting-8pp

Reading has remained stable at around 89%. Maths has remained stable at around 96%. Writing has declined from 94% to 86%.

Class Sizes

29.6

Avg class size

28.3

Infant (KS1)

30.5

KS2

7

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Shepherds Well Rail Station (rear entrance)
494m · 8 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Shepherdswell Station (East Kent Railway)
633m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

The Bell (adj)
95m · 2 min walk
Millfields (opp)
347m · 6 min walk
Co-op (o/s)
386m · 6 min walk
Sibert's Close (adj)
511m · 8 min walk
Railway Station (o/s)
515m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

213 pupils

210 capacity

3 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - DOVER

High pressure
New homes approved:52
Projected new pupils:13

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for DOVER

Admissions Demand - Kent

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

19,144

Applications

16,524

Got 1st preference

90.6%

Got preferred school

98.5%

Primary admissions across Kent (2025/26)

Inspection History(20)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.43476%

Overall absence

10.81081%

Persistent absence

185

Enrolments

Authorised3.15717%
Unauthorised1.27759%
Persistent (10%+)10.81081%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

2.22716%
18/19
1.29638%
20/21
3.99485%
21/22
3.79528%
22/23
4.53996%
23/24
4.43476%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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