Christchurch C.P. School, Denbighshire

Christchurch C.P. School is an English-medium school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.

It had 441 pupils in the 2025/26 school census.

53% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (three-year average).

Of its pupils, 12% have additional learning needs (32% in 2020/21); 16% are learning English as an additional language; and 20% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Year groups range from 50 pupils (Reception) to 60 (Year 6).

Its delegated budget for 2026-27 works out at £5,115 per pupil, against £4,641 in 2021-22. It ended 2024-25 with a deficit of £62k.

Estyn's report on its September 2023 inspection summarises Christchurch C.P. School like this:

"Christchurch Community Primary School provides exceptional care for its pupils and their families. Their well-being and safety are the school’s priority. A dedicated team of professionals ensures that pupils’ emotional, social and health needs are met highly successfully. Through carefully planned intervention programmes and skilful, tailored support, they enable nearly all pupils to engage successfully with learning. Leaders and governors monitor and evaluate the school’s safeguarding procedures robustly and act decisively. As a result, pupils feel safe and valued. Often, pupils’ skills when they start school are well below what is expected for their age. Nevertheless, during their time in school, most pupils make at least appropriate progress in their learning."

"Staff work conscientiously to develop pupils’ confidence and ability to communicate through talking and writing in English and in Welsh. They make particularly strong progress in their reading and enjoy sharing books and stories with adults. Nearly all pupils behave well. They are respectful of staff, visitors and each other. Many work successfully at their learning tasks and a few, when given the opportunity, enjoy taking responsibility for moving their own learning forward. However, overall, pupils do not develop well enough as independent learners. At times, staff over-direct pupils’ learning or pitch their activities either too high, or too low. A particularly strong aspect of the school’s practice is its work with external partners to enhance pupils’ learning experiences and to support family and community engagement."

"Leaders and staff are proactive in securing grant funding. They use this purposefully to improve the school’s resources and to open pupils’ eyes to the opportunities available to them in their adult lives. They also, with governors’ support, put in place valuable initiatives to support families who are struggling financially. The headteacher and governing body provide strong and effective leadership. Leaders and governors identify most of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement accurately. They recognise the need to improve pupils’ mathematical understanding, which is often weak, and pupils’ ability to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills in their work across the curriculum. Having driven a highly effective strategic approach to the development of the school’s provision for well- being, leaders are now beginning to turn their attention to improving the quality and consistency of teaching and assessment."

Estyn made 3 recommendations: (1) Develop the strategic leadership of teaching and assessment to ensure improvements to the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics and writing; (2) Improve provision for pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills across the curriculum; (3) Ensure that all pupils have meaningful opportunities to develop as independent learners.

The nearest other state primary schools to Christchurch C.P. School are Ysgol Emmanuel (0.2 miles), Ysgol Llywelyn (0.7 miles), Ysgol Dewi Sant (0.8 miles) and Bryn Hedydd C.P. School (1 mile).

The nearest railway station is Rhyl Rail Station, about 280 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).

19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Morrison (before), 160 metres away.