Willaston CofE Primary School, Neston
Willaston CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Neston. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 6 schools in Neston with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Willaston CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Willaston CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% 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 91% in reading and 91% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Willaston CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Willaston CofE Primary School as their first choice and 70 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Willaston CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Willaston CofE Primary School are Woodfall Primary and Nursery School (1.6 miles, 84% reading, 89% maths); St Winefride's Catholic Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 70% maths); Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School (2 miles, Requires improvement, 50% reading, 43% maths); and Brookhurst Primary School (2 miles, Good, 78% reading, 88% maths).
Willaston CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Woodfall Primary and Nursery SchoolSt Winefride's Catholic Primary SchoolMillfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary SchoolBrookhurst Primary School
Who goes there
2.4% 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, 20 pupils (9.4%) received SEN support and 2 (0.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hooton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (outside), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71).
Suspensions and exclusions
Willaston CofE Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Willaston CofE Primary School are Neston High School (1.8 miles) and South Wirral High School (1.9 miles).
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; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
2.4%
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 remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 91% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 84% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
7
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Willaston CofE Primary School
Term dates
Willaston 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 Willaston CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Willaston 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Willaston CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Willaston CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Willaston CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Willaston CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Willaston CofE Primary School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Willaston CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Willaston 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
101%
Over capacity
213 pupils
210 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Neston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Neston
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
212
Total Pupils
110
Boys
102
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,311
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,032
Per pupil
£1153k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
183
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
Willaston CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about Willaston CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Willaston CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Willaston CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Willaston CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Willaston CofE Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Willaston CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Willaston 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 Willaston CofE Primary School?
Willaston CofE Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Willaston CofE Primary School?
Classes at Willaston CofE Primary School average 30.3 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Willaston CofE Primary School?
Willaston CofE Primary School has around 212 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Willaston CofE Primary School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Willaston CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Willaston CofE Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Willaston 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 Willaston CofE Primary School's term dates?
Willaston 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 Willaston CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Willaston CofE Primary School?
Willaston CofE Primary School is at Neston Road, Willaston, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 2TN.
Sources: Cheshire West and Chester term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)