Weaverham Forest Primary School, Northwich

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Weaverham Forest Primary School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Overall, leaders ensure that most pupils typically attend school regularly."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have high aspirations for children in the early years."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff ensure that pupils with additional needs are welcomed and participate fully in school life."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's programme to support pupils' personal development enables pupils to develop their knowledge around relationships, sex and health education in an age-appropriate way."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils quickly secure basic skills in early reading and mathematics."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Over time, weaknesses in how the curriculum is taught have hampered some pupils from becoming fluent readers, writers or mathematicians by the time they leave primary school."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Over time, leaders have not tackled weaknesses in the quality of teaching and in pupils' achievement quickly enough."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further enhance staff's subject knowledge so that they deliver the curriculum consistently well"; "Leaders should ensure that the support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is precisely tailored to their starting points and needs so that they achieve all that they should"; "Leaders should build on the recent gains in pupils' mastery of English and mathematical skills so that pupils' attainment over time, including that of disadvantaged pupils, matches that of other pupils nationally"; "Leaders should ensure that the checks that staff make on pupils' learning enable pupils to deepen their knowledge over time"; "Governors should ensure that they build on recent improvements so that they hold leaders to account for all aspects of the school's work so that recent improvements are sustained in the longer term".

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at Weaverham Forest Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 38% 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 were similar in 2024 (55% in reading, 48% in maths).

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Weaverham Forest Primary School as their first choice and 42 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Weaverham Forest Primary School are Weaverham Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 57% reading, 52% maths); St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham (0.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); Little Leigh Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); and Barnton Community Nursery and Primary School (1.6 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 90% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Weaverham Forest Primary School.

16% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Acton Bridge Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (outside), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Weaverham Forest Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 21 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71).

In 2024/25, Weaverham Forest Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.