J H Godwin Primary School, Chester

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 12 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~606m)Possible (~866m)Unlikely (~1.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Sean Jones
Pupils:161 / 210 capacity
LA:Cheshire West and Chester
Phone:01244259666
Address:Melbourne Road, Blacon, Chester, CH1 5JG
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:110983
UKPRN:10077846
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Chester North and Neston
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school provides a warm, welcoming environment where pupils are happy, polite and well-behaved. Early years teaching is particularly effective, with strong phonics instruction and nurturing relationships that help children settle and develop independence. Staff are well-supported and leaders are actively working to improve teaching and learning across the school.

Key Strengths

  • Early years provision is strong with well-designed curriculum and effective phonics teaching
  • School culture is kind and welcoming with rare bullying and positive pupil behaviour
  • Leaders have recently taken swift action to improve teaching and are providing staff with effective professional development

Areas for Improvement

  • Pupil attainment in reading, writing and maths is below national standards, particularly in Year 6
  • Attendance levels are consistently below national averages with high persistent absence
  • Teaching quality is uneven across the school and staff do not identify knowledge gaps quickly enough
  • The range of clubs and extracurricular activities is limited

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports clubs, journaling, chess, school council roles, head pupils, science leaders, mental health ambassadors, trips, residentials

J H Godwin Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils have positive relationships with staff and enjoy learning. However, the school faces challenges with pupil achievement, attendance, and the consistency of teaching across key stage 2.

At a Glance

44.7%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+3ppMaths-6ppWriting+26pp

Reading has remained stable at around 53%. Maths has declined from 53% to 47%. Writing has improved from 53% to 79%.

Class Sizes

24.0

Avg class size

22.7

Infant (KS1)

25.0

KS2

7

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Onslow Road (opp)
111m · 2 min walk
Cairns Crescent (cnr)
129m · 2 min walk
High School (by)
266m · 4 min walk
Chevron Hey (opp)
361m · 6 min walk
Adelaide Road (opp)
381m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

77%

Available places

161 pupils

210 capacity

49 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Chester

Low pressure

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Chester

Admissions Demand - Cheshire West and Chester

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

4,393

Applications

3,189

Got 1st preference

92.5%

Got preferred school

98.7%

Primary admissions across Cheshire West and Chester (2025/26)

Inspection History(108)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.93752%

Overall absence

19.33333%

Persistent absence

150

Enrolments

Authorised4.33119%
Unauthorised2.60633%
Persistent (10%+)19.33333%
Severe (50%+)1.33333%

Absence trend

4.4926%
18/19
2.69604%
20/21
6.52701%
21/22
8.07447%
22/23
6.53932%
23/24
6.93752%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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