School Chooser

Sapperton Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England51 pupilsNurseryCirencesterGloucestershire
School Chooser Score
23
Below
similar schools
Likely range 7 to 60, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2024
Attendance96.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places33 spare51 pupils, 84 places
Pupils per teacher13.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll51Census January 2026

Sapperton Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Cirencester for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 51 pupils and room for 84. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Sapperton, Cirencester, GL7 6LQ01285 760325sappertonschool.orgMrs Helen Cooper - Executive Headteacher headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 10 July 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

5 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2024
2017: 82%82%20172018: 100%100%20182019: 56%56%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 64%64%2024
Since 2017: -18%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017GloucestershireEngland
Pupils tested511129711
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths64%50%56%100%82%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%0%0%29%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0105.0108.0113.0108.0106.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0101.0105.0110.0106.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0103.0104.0107.0109.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%75%67%100%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard64%75%67%100%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%50%89%100%91%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4-1.5+2.6+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.7-4.0+1.3-2.4
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged100%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places50 pupils for 84 places, 2024/25
60% full

34 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 26% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (12 offers for 12 places).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1283212all offeredLA
2025 Primary124185all offeredLA
2024 Primary12191all offeredLA
2023 Primary126177all offeredLA
2022 Primary127127all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll51Census January 2026
Places8461% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%6 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan14%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size13.04 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)25%£18,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls36 / 15
White British pupils77%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Moderate learning difficulty (3), emotional and mental health (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), language and communications needs (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll514854726972
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%25%24%17%19%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%7%8%9%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%17%19%19%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%4%3%0%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.6%4.3%5.2%4.0%1.8%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.4%4.9%3.4%1.6%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.9%0.3%0.6%0.2%0.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.8%8.5%12.7%6.2%0.0%3.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.10.02.81.51.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers3.7full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher13.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,390
Teachers who left in the year16%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£12,147England £7,738. Total £583k
Income per pupil£11,355England £7,697. Total £545k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,431England £3,480
Money in reserve18%A healthy amount put by: £95k, £1,984 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£38kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,147spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate27 per 1,000 people71% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000Cotswold
Nearest bus stop10 mSapperton School, 8 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Oakridge Parochial SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles29Good 202210Compare
Chalford Hill Primary SchoolCouncil3.0 miles195Report card 202568Compare
Bisley Blue Coat Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles60Good 202220Compare
Rodmarton Primary SchoolCouncil3.2 miles66Report card 202631Compare
Eastcombe Primary SchoolCouncil3.5 miles49Good 202358Compare
Miserden Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles42Good 202017Compare
Bussage Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles192Good 202281Compare
Stratton Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England4.3 miles191Good 202367Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sapperton Church of England Primary School with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats50%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 23 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 24 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Sapperton Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Somerfords' Walter Powell CofE AcademyAcademy12.8 miles56Good 202452Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 7 to 60. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.12
2024 and 2023 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.27
DfE progress measure; 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.07
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 52 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Sapperton Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Sapperton Church of England Primary School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 50% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 7 to 60, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Sapperton Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Sapperton Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 10 July 2024.

How many pupils does Sapperton Church of England Primary School have?

51 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 84 places, so it is 61% full.

Is Sapperton Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 34 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Sapperton Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Sapperton Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 13.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Sapperton, Cirencester, GL7 6LQ
Telephone
01285 760325
Website
www.sappertonschool.org
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Cooper - Executive Headteacher
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester
Local authority
Gloucestershire
Ward
Ermin
Constituency
North Cotswolds
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
115698 · LAESTAB 9163345 · UKPRN 10071601

Where these figures come from