Clandon CofE Aided Primary School

Clandon is a voluntary aided Church of England primary in West Clandon, near Guildford, with 78 pupils and a capacity of 105. Of its pupils, 37.2% are eligible for free school meals and 10.3% speak English as an additional language. In addition, 15.38% receive SEN support and 16.67% have an EHC plan; the Ofsted report also refers to a high proportion of pupils with SEND.

In 2024-25, 35% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with 60% in England, and 0% reached the higher standard (England 8%). This is up from 26% in 2022-23 and 27% in 2023-24. With so few pupils in each year group, each child makes a large difference to these percentages, so the trend is worth more attention than any single year.

What Ofsted found

The latest inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2022. The report judged the school Good overall and in every area, including early years, up from Requires improvement in 2019. Inspectors described an inclusive school where "staff skilfully adapt their teaching" for the high proportion of pupils with SEND. They noted that some children join with weak language skills, and that the school prioritises vocabulary and early reading from Reception.

There were clear areas to improve. Inspectors found that "teachers do not consistently check that pupils have learned" the most important content in wider subjects, and that some subject leaders were new and had not yet checked how well pupils were learning. They also found that "some pupils do not attend school regularly enough".

The report notes that the headteacher started in 2019, that almost all staff and governors had joined since the previous inspection, and that the school federated with Shere CofE Aided Infant School in April 2021.

How it compares nearby

Nearby primaries with published key stage 2 results all report higher figures: Send CofE Primary School (2.2 mi, 55%), Merrow Junior School (1.4 mi, 62%), Boxgrove Primary School (1.9 mi, 66%), St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School (1.9 mi, 78%) and Burpham Primary School (2.1 mi, 80%). Merrow CofE Controlled Infant School (1.2 mi) is rated Good by Ofsted but, as an infant school, has no key stage 2 results. These headline figures do not reflect differences in intake, and Clandon's proportion of pupils with EHC plans is high.

Who it may suit

The school's website describes Clandon as a small, family school with a hands-on curriculum and a strong connection to the natural world, and says families can book a tour through the school office. Inspectors also mention forest school and clubs such as cooking, dance and archery. It may suit families wanting a small, caring setting, particularly for children with SEND. Families focused on academic results should ask how the school is raising key stage 2 outcomes and whether the 2022 areas for improvement have been addressed.

May suit: Families wanting a small, nurturing village primary with strong support for pupils with SEND and an emphasis on outdoor learning.

Drafted with the help of AI tools from our research notes and the sources above, then checked and edited by EduNavigate Research Team before publishing.