Chawson First School, Droitwich
Chawson First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Droitwich. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. It was 79% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Worcestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chawson First School in detail
Chawson First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to extend the very warmest of welcomes to our families, friends and visitors. Every day we create fun and memorable experiences for our children, so that they learn and achieve everything they're capable of. We value friendship and collaboration and that is why you will find our motto 'caring, sharing, learning together' displayed proudly above our entrance."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Chawson First School
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Chawson First School as their first choice and 105 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chawson First School are Witton Middle School (0.1 miles, Good, 74% reading, 72% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, 62% reading, 48% maths); Westacre Middle School (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 71% maths); and St Peter's Droitwich CofE Academy (0.7 miles, Good).
Witton Middle SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolWestacre Middle SchoolSt Peter's Droitwich CofE Academy
What parents say
57 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Chawson First School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 101 pupils (29.1%) received SEN support and 33 (9.5%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Droitwich Spa Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Witton Middle School (adjacent), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Worcestershire (78), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chawson First School issued 21 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Worcestershire published that the last place for 2021 entry went to a family 1.217 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Chawson First School creates a happy, respectful environment where pupils are well-behaved and engage positively with school life. The school has successfully improved its mathematics teaching and provides excellent opportunities for personal development, including learning about different cultures and taking on leadership roles. Your child will feel safe and supported in this welcoming community.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave well and have a strong understanding of school expectations, being polite, courteous and respectful
- Mathematics teaching has improved and pupils achieve well in this subject
- Personal development is strong with pupils learning about different faiths, cultures and how to stay safe online
- Pupils benefit from a range of enrichment activities and leadership opportunities through ministerial roles
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching of reading and phonics is inconsistent, and some pupils - particularly those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils - do not receive timely support to catch up
- Writing instruction lacks consistency with spelling, grammar and punctuation errors going unchecked and handwriting standards not high enough
- Support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent and not always adapted to their needs, with delays in sourcing specialist help
- Leadership and governors lack the expertise to hold the school to account and have not prioritised reading and writing effectively
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Taekwondo, dance, knitting, choir, scientific and technological activities at local middle school, eco-ministers and behaviour ministers roles
Chawson First School is a first school where pupils are happy, safe and well-behaved, but the quality of education requires improvement due to inconsistent teaching of reading and writing. The school has made positive progress in mathematics but has not prioritised literacy skills effectively.
At a Glance
25.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
57 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
28.5
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Chawson First School
From Chawson First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Chawson First School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Chawson First School.
- Kids F1rstAt the school · Not yet graded
- Empower Kids Club540m away · Not yet graded
- Kumon Droitwich660m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chawson First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chawson First School is in Worcestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Worcestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Worcestershire is 5.5 (the median across 276 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Chawson First School
Will you get a place at Chawson First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chawson First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chawson First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chawson First School.
- Last distance offered for 2021 entry, from Worcestershire's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Chawson First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Worcestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
318 pupils
405 places
87 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Droitwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Droitwich
Across Worcestershire council
Places available
6,801
Applications
5,492
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Worcestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
101
SEN Support
33
EHC Plans
38.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
347
Total Pupils
178
Boys
169
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,627
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,423
Per pupil
£1964k
Total funding
£135k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
16.3%
Persistent absence
263
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Chawson First School
Questions parents ask about Chawson First School
What is Chawson First School's Ofsted rating?
Chawson First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
How close to Chawson First School do you need to live?
Worcestershire published for September 2021 entry that the last place offered at Chawson First School on distance went to a family 1.217 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Chawson First School?
Chawson First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 405 places.
How big are the classes at Chawson First School?
Classes at Chawson First School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Chawson First School?
Chawson First School has around 347 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chawson First School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Chawson First School in 2024/25. 16.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chawson First School?
Apply through Worcestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chawson First School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Chawson First School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kids F1rst (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Chawson First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Worcestershire is 5.5 (the median across 276 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chawson First School?
Chawson First School is at Wych Road, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 8BW.
Sources: Worcestershire admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)