St Stephen's School is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

primary school for girls and boys located on the

Uxbridge Road Uxbridge Road is the name of the A4020 road in West London. The route starts at Shepherd's Bush Green and goes west towards Uxbridge. It passes through Acton, Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes, and Hillingdon. Uxbridge Road is a major r ...

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...

, in the

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham () is a London boroughs, London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 as the London Borough of Hammersmith from the merger of the former Metr ...

, England. It is affiliated with

St Stephen's Church, Shepherd's Bush The Church of St Stephen and St Thomas is a Church of England parish church in Shepherd's Bush, London. It was built circa 1849–50, designed by architect Anthony Salvin in the Gothic Revival style and is now Grade II listed. The church is locat ...

, in the

Diocese of London The Diocese of London forms part of the Church of England's Province of Canterbury in England. It lies directly north of the Thames, covering and all or part of 17 London boroughs. This corresponds almost exactly to the historic county of ...

, and was built at the same time, circa 1849–50. As of 2011 St Stephen's was rated "outstanding" by

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...

. In 2017 it was ranked equal fifth in the Sunday Times list of the top 500 State Primary Schools in the UK and also featured in The Tatler's list of Best State Primary Schools.

History

St Stephen's School has been at the heart of its local community for over 150 years, part of the original village of Shepherd's Bush, and built at the same time as St Stephen's Church, circa 1849–50.

Introduction

St Stephen's is a

Voluntary Aided School A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In m ...

, with 384 pupils in 2018, and an age range of 3 to 11 years, both girls and boys. It is located on the Uxbridge Road in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, at the junction with Coverdale Road, next to St Stephen's Church. Reflecting the diversity of the local area, 32% of pupils at the school do not have English as a first language, against a national average of 20.5%.SchoolGuide.co.uk
Retrieved 28 November 2018 The ratio of students to teachers is 24.5:1, against a national average of 20.6:1. 8.2% of students are given free school meals, against a national average of 24.9%. The school embraces parent participation and even organises an annual Grandparents Day.

Admissions

St Stephen's has a two-form entry system, admitting 30 children in each class. Admission to the school is the responsibility of the school governors. 40 "Foundation Places" are offered every year to "practising members of a Christian church" and also "practising members of the congregation" at the Church of St Stephen and St Thomas, Shepherds Bush who live in the parish. In addition, there are also 20 "Open Places" available each year, which "are determined by distance". Priority is given to "children with a sibling" already in the school.Official Admissions Policy
Retrieved 28 November 2018

Special Needs

St Stephen's supports the admission of students with special needs. Applicants with a signed

Statement of Special Educational Needs Special educational needs (SEN), also known as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the United Kingdom refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system. Meaning The meaning of S ...

or an Education, Health & Care plan that specifically names St Stephen's will be admitted in accordance with Section 43 of the

Children and Families Act 2014 A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...

Ranking and Reputation

In 2008

reported that it was "a good school with a number of outstanding features". In June 2011 St Stephen's was rated "outstanding" by

, which reported that "the inspirational leadership of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and middle leaders can be seen at every level". St Stephen's was ranked 30th in the Sunday Times list of the top 500 State Primary Schools in the UK in 2018, and equal 5th in 2017. St Stephen's also featured in

The Tatler ''Tatler'' (stylised in all caps) is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper and upper-middle cla ...

's list of Best State Primary Schools in 2017. Tatler were "wowed by the smiling faces in every classroom", described the school as "the best of the best", and suggested that "someone give Michael Schumm a knighthood - he's one of the most inspiring heads we've met". In December 2018 official Government primary school league tables showed St Stephen's ranked equal third among schools in Hammersmith and Fulham. In December 2021 St Stephen's was ranked 38th in the Sunday Times League Table of Best Primary Schools in the UK.

Fundraising

The Friends of St Stephen's (FOSS) has a successful history of fundraising to support school activities, such as provision of extra help for students with special needs.FOSS official page
Retrieved 29 November 2018

References

External links

St Stephen's CE School Official Website
Retrieved 28 November 2018
SchoolGuide.co.uk
Retrieved 28 November 2018
St Stephen's at Oftsed website
Retrieved 29 November 2018
St Stephen's School at the Shepherd's Bush Blog
Retrieved 29 November 2018
Interview with headteacher Michael Schumm at www.headteacher-update.com
Retrieved 7 February 2020 {{authority control Primary schools in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham