The Arches Community Primary School, Chester
The Arches Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Chester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 21st-highest of the 34 schools in Chester with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 59% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cheshire West and Chester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Arches Community Primary School in detail
The Arches Community Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at The Arches Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% 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 fell from 87% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Arches Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put The Arches Community Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 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 The Arches Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Arches Community Primary School are Highfield Community Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 66% reading, 66% maths); St Theresa's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 66% reading, 62% maths); J H Godwin Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 53% reading, 47% maths); and Dee Point Primary School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 55% reading, 58% maths).
The Arches Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Highfield Community Primary SchoolSt Theresa's Catholic Primary SchoolJ H Godwin Primary SchoolDee Point Primary School
Who goes there
55% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 67 pupils (37.2%) received SEN support and 18 (10%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
The Arches Community Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bache Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Highfield (outside), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 161 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. 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, The Arches Community Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 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
55.0%
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 84% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.4
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Arches Community Primary School
Before and after school care
The Arches Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Cheshire West and Chester
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Arches Community Primary School.
- Buddies Out of School Care Ltd680m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Arches Community 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 The Arches Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Arches Community 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 5 on a bicycle.
8 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 The Arches Community Primary School
Will you get a place at The Arches Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Arches Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Arches Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Arches Community Primary School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Arches Community Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Arches Community 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
59%
Available places
185 pupils
315 places
130 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
47.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
90
Boys
90
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,081
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,476
Per pupil
£1425k
Total funding
£142k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
19.8%
Persistent absence
167
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
The Arches Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about The Arches Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Arches Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Arches Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is The Arches Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Arches Community Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for The Arches Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Arches Community 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 The Arches Community Primary School?
The Arches Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 59% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at The Arches Community Primary School?
Classes at The Arches Community Primary School average 24.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Arches Community Primary School?
The Arches Community Primary School has around 180 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Arches Community Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at The Arches Community Primary School in 2024/25. 19.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Arches Community Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming The Arches Community 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 The Arches Community Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
The Arches Community Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of The Arches Community Primary School: Buddies Out of School Care Ltd (680m away, registered, not yet graded).
What are The Arches Community Primary School's term dates?
The Arches Community 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 The Arches Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 14 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot and 5 on a bicycle. 8 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 The Arches Community Primary School?
The Arches Community Primary School is at Saughall Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5EZ.
Sources: Cheshire West and Chester term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)