Widnes Academy, Widnes
Widnes Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Widnes, part of Wade Deacon Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 19 schools in Widnes with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 58% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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 Halton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Widnes Academy in detail
Widnes Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Widnes Academy, we take immense pride in fostering an environment where every student is encouraged to thrive both academically and personally. Our dedicated team of staff is entirely committed to ensuring that each child receives a high-quality education tailored specifically to meet their individual needs."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Widnes Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Halton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 61% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Widnes Academy
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Widnes Academy as their first choice and 13 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Widnes Academy are Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 58% maths); St Edward's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 74% reading, 53% maths); Victoria Road Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 71% maths); and Westfield Primary School (1 mile, Good, 67% reading, 52% maths).
Widnes Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary SchoolSt Edward's Catholic Primary SchoolVictoria Road Primary SchoolWestfield Primary School
The trust
Widnes Academy is one of 10 schools run by Wade Deacon Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Widnes Academy had 8 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 Runcorn Rail Station, about 0.7 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Irwell Street/the Bridge, 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Widnes Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Widnes Academy 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; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
41.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 61% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 74% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.6
Avg class size
19.0
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Widnes Academy
Before and after school care
Widnes Academy 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 Halton
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Widnes Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Widnes Academy is in Halton; for families living there:
Apply to Halton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 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 Widnes Academy
Will you get a place at Widnes Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Widnes Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Widnes Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Widnes Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Halton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Widnes Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Halton 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
58%
Available places
122 pupils
210 places
88 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Widnes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Widnes
Across Halton council
Places available
1,555
Applications
1,158
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Halton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
24.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
127
Total Pupils
71
Boys
56
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,860
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,621
Per pupil
£971k
Total funding
£82k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
21.7%
Persistent absence
120
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Widnes Academy
What are SATs results like at Widnes Academy?
Of the pupils at Widnes Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Widnes Academy's Ofsted rating?
Widnes Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Widnes Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Widnes Academy is oversubscribed, Halton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Widnes Academy?
Widnes Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Widnes Academy?
Classes at Widnes Academy average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Widnes Academy?
Widnes Academy has around 127 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Widnes Academy?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Widnes Academy in 2024/25. 21.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Widnes Academy?
Apply through Halton's coordinated admissions process, naming Widnes Academy 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 Widnes Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Widnes Academy 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.
How many road collisions happen near Widnes Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Halton is 9.5 (the median across 70 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Widnes Academy?
Widnes Academy is at Cholmondeley Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0EL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)