Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)
Bitterley, Ludlow, SY8 3HF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF HEREFORD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jill France
- Diocese
- Diocese of Hereford
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy Trust
- Constituency
- South Shropshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 130
- Pupils on roll
- 81
- URN
- 142142
- Local authority
- Shropshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01584890228
About this school
Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) is a Church of England primary academy in Ludlow. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 81 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 16 | 13 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 50% | 62% | 70% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 81% | 62% | 80% |
| Expected standard in maths | 63% | 77% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 69% | 62% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 103.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | -1.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.20 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Shropshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 50% | 55.9% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 62% | 55.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 70% | 56.8% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 107 |
| 2023/24 | 100 |
| 2024/25 | 97 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) compares
Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) ranked 22nd of 96 primary schools in Shropshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 70% | 5.6% | 6.1% | 81 | — |
| Clee Hill Community Academy | 65% | 3.4% | 18.5% | 158 | 2.3 miles |
| Ludlow Primary School | 60% | 5.4% | 23.1% | 397 | 2.8 miles |
| St Laurence CofE Primary School | 74% | 3.9% | 15.3% | 237 | 3.5 miles |
| Bishop Hooper Church of England Primary School | 43% | 5.4% | 20.2% | 121 | 4.7 miles |
| Farlow CofE Primary School | 50% | 5% | 7.1% | 24 | 5.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 6.1%
- English as an additional language
- 1%
- Overall absence
- 5.57%
- Persistent absence
- 10.67%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Clee Hill Community Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Ludlow
-
Ludlow Primary School2.8 miles
Primary · Ludlow
-
St Laurence CofE Primary School3.5 miles
Primary · Ludlow
-
Bishop Hooper Church of England Primary School4.7 miles
Primary · Ludlow
-
Farlow CofE Primary School5.2 miles
Primary · Kidderminster
Other schools in Ludlow
Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) ranks 3rd of the 6 ranked primary schools in Ludlow.
- Bishop Hooper Church of England Primary School Primary
- Clee Hill Community Academy Primary
- Ludlow Primary School Primary
- Orleton CofE Primary School Primary
- St Laurence CofE Primary School Primary
- Ludlow Church of England School Secondary
- Moor Park School Independent schools
Common questions
- What year groups does Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) teach?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Ludlow.
- Who is the headteacher of Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)?
- The headteacher of Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) is Mrs Jill France, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided), and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) has 81 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) full?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) has capacity for 130 pupils and 81 on roll (62%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) a faith school?
- Yes. Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Hereford.
- Does Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) is part of DIOCESE OF HEREFORD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)'s results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 50% in 2022/23 and 70% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) rank locally?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided) ranked 22nd of 96 primary schools in Shropshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)'s absence rate?
- Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)'s overall absence rate is 5.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)'s exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Bitterley CofE Primary School (Aided)'s key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.