Charles Darwin Community Primary School, Northwich

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Charles Darwin Community Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders are highly skilled in ensuring that pupils' needs are understood and met."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders provide an extensive and well‑structured personal development and wellbeing offer that is embedded in everyday learning."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress well through the curriculum across year groups and key stages."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance is close to national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise the early years and have a clear understanding of the quality of provision."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have quickly developed a clear understanding of the school's context and priorities since taking up their posts."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should continue to prioritise their work on attendance to ensure that pupils who are in receipt of pupil premium or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities attend school more regularly. • Leaders should finalise their curriculum design in the early years, and in a small minority of subjects in key stages 1 and 2, to ensure that staff have all of the information that they need to know what to teach and when to teach it. • Leaders should ensure that staff prioritise pupils' learning of times tables with more urgency so that pupils increase their fluency and are well prepared to apply this in their future learning".

In its own words: "On Wednesday Year 1 are heading to Verdin Park to find out all about Robert Verdin."

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Charles Darwin Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 74% in Cheshire West and Chester and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 76% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Charles Darwin Community Primary School as their first choice and 62 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Charles Darwin Community Primary School are Winnington Park Community Primary and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 67% maths); St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 69% maths); Kingsmead Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 74% maths); and Witton Church Walk CofE Aided Nursery and Primary School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, 55% reading, 45% maths).

Charles Darwin Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

44 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Charles Darwin Community Primary School (as of April 2026): 82% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

In 2026, 42 pupils (12.7%) received SEN support and 22 (6.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Greenbank Rail Station, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Surgery (outside), 120 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 212 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Charles Darwin Community Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Charles Darwin Community Primary School are St Nicholas Catholic High School (0.5 miles); Hartford Church of England High School (0.8 miles); The County High School, Leftwich (1.1 miles); and The Rudheath Senior Academy (1.6 miles).