Upton Westlea Primary School, Chester

Requires Improvement
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 31 Aug 2026

Location

Very likely (~386m)Possible (~551m)Unlikely (~716m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Kathryn Carruthers
Pupils:159 / 210 capacity
LA:Cheshire West and Chester
Phone:01244667880
Address:Upton Westlea Primary School, Weston Grove, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, CH2 1QJ
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 January 1900

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 27 January 2026View full report
URN:111100
UKPRN:10068869
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

Pupils thrive in this caring, inclusive school where they feel known and valued by staff. The school excels at reading and mathematics, with structured teaching that helps all children progress well. Children with additional needs, including those with autism in the Eden provision, receive excellent targeted support and feel fully included in school life.

Key Strengths

  • Strong safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and leaders act quickly on concerns
  • Calm, orderly behaviour with clear expectations and consistent staff approach
  • Reading, mathematics and phonics teaching are effective with outcomes in line with national averages
  • Excellent inclusion and support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs
  • Rich personal development opportunities including residential visits, leadership roles and careers guidance

Areas for Improvement

  • Writing outcomes significantly below national expectations due to weak handwriting and spelling teaching
  • Early years curriculum not effectively sequenced, particularly for language development
  • Leaders lack sufficient oversight of teaching quality across all subjects
  • Curriculum not taught in a logical sequence for handwriting and spelling skills
  • Inconsistent monitoring of action plans means improvements are not being secured

Safeguarding

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

Extracurricular Activities

Residential visits, digital leader roles, behaviour champion roles, arts and sports ambassador roles, visits to places of worship, Year 5 careers fair, charity fundraising activities, eleven experiences before eleven activities

Upton Westlea Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils feel safe and cared for, with strong safeguarding and positive relationships. However, the school has significant weaknesses in writing and needs to improve curriculum oversight and teaching quality monitoring.

At a Glance

34.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-3ppMaths-10ppWriting-12pp

Reading has remained stable at around 71%. Maths has declined from 81% to 71%. Writing has declined from 65% to 53%.

Class Sizes

20.3

Avg class size

19.0

Infant (KS1)

25.7

KS2

6

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Upton Westlea Primary School

From Upton Westlea Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Getting There

Bus Stops

Westlea Primary (o/s)
25m · 0 min walk
Dukesway (opp)
163m · 3 min walk
Shops (nr)
270m · 4 min walk
Woodlea Avenue (cnr)
319m · 5 min walk
Halton Road (cnr)
335m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

76%

Available places

159 pupils

210 capacity

51 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(8)

27 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
27 June 2023
21 November 2017
Leadership & ManagementGood

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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

5.2031%

Overall absence

11.80556%

Persistent absence

144

Enrolments

Authorised4.05413%
Unauthorised1.14897%
Persistent (10%+)11.80556%
Severe (50%+)0.69444%

Absence trend

4.31281%
18/19
3.87634%
20/21
5.32659%
21/22
6.68234%
22/23
5.84327%
23/24
5.2031%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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