Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School, Widnes
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Widnes. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 19 schools in Widnes with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Halton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Halton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 156 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School are Lunts Heath Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 87% maths); Fairfield Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 81% reading, 80% maths); Moorfield Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 97% reading, 94% maths); and St Bede's Catholic Junior School (0.9 miles, Good, 71% reading, 77% maths).
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Lunts Heath Primary SchoolFairfield Primary SchoolMoorfield Primary SchoolSt Bede's Catholic Junior School
Who goes there
7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 61 pupils (14.7%) received SEN support and 8 (1.9%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Widnes Rail Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pit Lane, 290 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School are Wade Deacon High School (0.7 miles), Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School (0.9 miles) and Ormiston Chadwick Academy (1.5 miles).
Wade Deacon High SchoolSaints Peter and Paul Catholic High SchoolOrmiston Chadwick Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
7.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 87% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 85% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
28.8
Infant (KS1)
30.2
KS2
12
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 Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School.
- Kid's Space Limited290m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School is in Halton; for families living there:
Apply to Halton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
1 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 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 Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Halton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Halton 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
101%
Over capacity
417 pupils
413 places
4 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Widnes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Widnes
Across Halton council
Places available
1,555
Applications
1,158
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Halton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
61
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
16.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
414
Total Pupils
226
Boys
188
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,805
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,970
Per pupil
£2236k
Total funding
£48k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.2%
Persistent absence
359
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
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School is oversubscribed, Halton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School average 29.5 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 Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School has around 414 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 4.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Halton's coordinated admissions process, naming Farnworth Church of England Controlled 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 Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School: Kid's Space Limited (290m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 1 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School?
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School is at Pit Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9HS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)