Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School, Whitchurch
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Whitchurch. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 6 schools in Whitchurch with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
- 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 Cheshire West and Chester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School in detail
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% 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 rose from 76% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 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 Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School are Malpas Alport Endowed Primary School (2.4 miles, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 64% maths); Whitchurch CofE Junior Academy (3.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 64% maths); Whitchurch CofE Infant and Nursery Academy (3.4 miles, Good); and Bickerton Holy Trinity CofE Primary School (4.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 76% maths).
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Malpas Alport Endowed Primary SchoolWhitchurch CofE Junior AcademyWhitchurch CofE Infant and Nursery AcademyBickerton Holy Trinity CofE Primary School
What parents say
42 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 13 pupils (11.5%) received SEN support and 3 (2.7%) 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 specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whitchurch (Shrops) Rail Station, about 3.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Vicarage (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71).
Suspensions and exclusions
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2017, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a warm, supportive environment where every child feels valued and happy. Reading and early phonics are taught exceptionally well, with most children quickly gaining confidence in reading. The school also provides exceptional opportunities for personal development, encouraging children to develop leadership skills and see themselves as active citizens in their school and wider community.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and attitudes - pupils live up to high expectations and show deep respect for one another
- Outstanding early years provision - children are exceptionally well prepared for Year 1 with a strong focus on phonics and reading
- Rich and engaging curriculum that is relevant to pupils and their local context
- Highly developed personal development provision woven through school life, with pupils taking on meaningful leadership roles
- Strong support for pupils with SEND through early identification and targeted intervention sessions
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, pupils do not always learn the most important knowledge needed for future learning
- Assessment approaches in wider curriculum subjects need development to check how well pupils remember their learning long-term
- Staff need more expertise in some areas to make the right choices about what knowledge to prioritise
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting competitions, after-school clubs, leadership roles as VIVAs and play leaders, assemblies, charity events, birthday cards for isolated people, child sponsorship in Uganda, World War II learning projects
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School is a warm and nurturing school where love and care shine through, with strong relationships between staff and pupils creating a happy and safe environment. The school has been judged as Good for quality of education, with Outstanding ratings for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.
At a Glance
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
42 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 76% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School
Term dates
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Tushingham With Grindley CofE 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 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 Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Tushingham With Grindley CofE 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
101 pupils
105 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitchurch
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitchurch
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
14.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
113
Total Pupils
58
Boys
55
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
14.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,645
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,125
Per pupil
£663k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
90
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Tushingham With Grindley CofE 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 Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Classes at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School has around 113 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Tushingham With Grindley CofE 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.
What are Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School's term dates?
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School?
Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School is at Tushingham, Whitchurch, Cheshire, SY13 4QS.
Sources: Cheshire West and Chester term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)