Cloughwood Academy, Northwich
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Cloughwood Academy excels at building positive relationships with pupils and families, helping even those who have completely disengaged from education to re-engage and thrive. Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils' emotional and mental health needs, creating a nurturing environment where pupils feel valued and develop real aspirations. The school's strong focus on vocational training and industry-standard qualifications ensures pupils gain meaningful qualifications and move into appropriate employment or further education.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional support for attendance and behaviour - staff break down barriers to help persistently absent pupils make notable improvements
- Highly effective inclusion approach that identifies and addresses multiple, complex needs through the 'Cloughwood profile'
- Strong personal development programme that transforms pupils' attitudes and self-worth
- Comprehensive vocational offer (catering, horticulture, construction and joinery) aligned to local employer needs
- Excellent careers guidance and work experience opportunities that prepare pupils for employment
Areas for Improvement
- Lack of clarity over key knowledge in some subjects means pupils' progress through the curriculum is not consistently strong as it could be
- Quality of phonics teaching varies, affecting some pupils' reading improvement
- Sometimes completing tasks becomes more important than developing subject knowledge
- Governance checks on curriculum quality need to be more specific about defining key knowledge consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips, enrichment activities, whole-school bake-off, Master Chef competitions, work experience in professional kitchens, work experience with industry partners including Michelin-starred restaurants, professional courses, mock interviews, travel training, banking and employability workshops
Cloughwood Academy is a special school that successfully supports pupils with complex needs and those who have disengaged from education. The school has established a nurturing culture focused on raising aspirations and preparing pupils for meaningful employment.
At a Glance
64.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 18%. Maths has declined from 8% to 0%. Writing has improved from 0% to 9%.
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Over capacity
120 pupils
120 capacity
0 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Northwich
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Northwich
Admissions Demand - Cheshire West and Chester
Places available
4,161
Applications
3,615
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
99.4%
Secondary admissions across Cheshire West and Chester (2025/26)
Inspection History(6)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.00757%
Overall absence
45.97701%
Persistent absence
87
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cloughwood Academy
Hartford Manor Primary School & Nursery
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School
Kingsmead Primary School
Hartford Primary School
Winnington Park Community Primary and Nursery School
Charles Darwin Community Primary School
Davenham CofE Primary School
Leftwich Community Primary School
Witton Church Walk CofE Aided Nursery and Primary School
St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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