Cherry Grove Primary School, Chester
Cherry Grove Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 34 schools in Chester with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cheshire West and Chester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cherry Grove Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Cherry Grove Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% 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 68% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Cherry Grove Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Cherry Grove Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Cherry Grove Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cherry Grove Primary School are Boughton Heath Academy (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 94% maths); Hoole Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles); St Werburgh's and St Columba's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 96% maths); and Oldfield Primary School (0.7 miles).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Cherry Grove Primary School.
Boughton Heath AcademyHoole Church of England Primary SchoolSt Werburgh's and St Columba's Catholic Primary SchoolOldfield Primary School
What parents say
65 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cherry Grove Primary School (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).
Who goes there
15% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chester Rail Station, about 1110 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cecil Street (cnr), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 285 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cherry Grove Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Cherry Grove Primary School are The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School (0.5 miles); Chester International School (0.9 miles); Queen's Park High School (1 mile); and The Catholic High School, Chester (1.5 miles).
The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High SchoolChester International SchoolQueen's Park High SchoolThe Catholic High School, Chester
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be part of a caring, welcoming community where they're encouraged to do their best. The school excels at teaching reading and provides rich experiences including music, drama and outdoor learning. Children develop strong values and life skills through special activities like running the school for a day and helping at a local residential home.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning
- Strong phonics teaching and early reading support
- Well-designed personal development programme with clubs, trips and community links
- Effective support for pupils with SEND
- Good progress through thoughtfully structured curriculum
Areas for Improvement
- In a small number of subjects, activities do not help pupils embed learning into long-term memory
- Some pupils need better activities to consolidate their learning
- Small number of pupils with attendance concerns despite school support
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, football club, outdoor learning club, well-being club, music and drama, theatre visits, musical instrument lessons, leadership roles (UNICEF ambassadors, play leaders), grounds day, summer picnics and afternoon teas, Second World War workshops, planetarium visits
Cherry Grove Primary School has maintained good standards following significant leadership changes. Pupils come to school eager to learn and behave exceptionally well.
At a Glance
15.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
65 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 65% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.2
Avg class size
20.3
Infant (KS1)
28.4
KS2
10
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Cherry Grove Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Cherry Grove Primary School.
- Kids Planet Cherry GroveAt the school · Not yet graded
- Amasing Projects CIC690m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Cherry Grove Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cheshire West and Chester. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cherry Grove Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cherry Grove Primary School is in Cheshire West and Chester; for families living there:
Apply to Cheshire West and Chester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 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 Cherry Grove Primary School
Will you get a place at Cherry Grove Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cherry Grove Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cherry Grove Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cherry Grove Primary School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Cherry Grove Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cherry Grove Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cheshire West and Chester 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
78%
Available places
247 pupils
315 places
68 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chester
Across Cheshire West and Chester council
Places available
4,260
Applications
3,274
Got 1st preference
92.3%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All primary applications across Cheshire West and Chester council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
55
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
25.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
274
Total Pupils
151
Boys
123
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,540
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,220
Per pupil
£1415k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
7.2%
Persistent absence
222
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
Questions parents ask about Cherry Grove Primary School
What are SATs results like at Cherry Grove Primary School?
Of the pupils at Cherry Grove Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Cherry Grove Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Cherry Grove Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cherry Grove Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Cherry Grove Primary School is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cherry Grove Primary School?
Cherry Grove Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Cherry Grove Primary School?
Classes at Cherry Grove Primary School average 23.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Cherry Grove Primary School?
Cherry Grove Primary School has around 274 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cherry Grove Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Cherry Grove Primary School in 2024/25. 7.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cherry Grove Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Cherry Grove Primary 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 Cherry Grove Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kids Planet Cherry Grove (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Cherry Grove Primary School's term dates?
Cherry Grove Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cheshire West and Chester. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Cherry Grove Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cherry Grove Primary School?
Cherry Grove Primary School is at Cherry Grove Road, Chester, CH3 5EG.
Sources: Cheshire West and Chester term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)