Willows Primary School, Altrincham
Willows Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Altrincham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 17 schools in Altrincham with published results, and 2,457th of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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 Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Willows Primary School in detail
Willows Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Willows is a happy and friendly school, staffed by a committed and talented team of teachers, teaching assistants and office staff and supported by an active Governing Body and Parent Teachers Association (PTA). A very successful school, our children are at the heart of all we do."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Trafford
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Willows Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 82% in Trafford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (92% in reading, 87% in maths).
Getting a place at Willows Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Willows Primary School as their first choice and 116 named it as one of their preferences, for 36 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Willows Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Willows Primary School are St Hugh's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 86% maths); Cloverlea Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 77% reading, 77% maths); St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 93% maths); and Heyes Lane Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 89% reading, 91% maths).
Willows Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Hugh's Catholic Primary SchoolCloverlea Primary SchoolSt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolHeyes Lane Primary School
Who goes there
2.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 38 pupils (10.1%) received SEN support and 10 (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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Navigation Road (Manchester Metrolink), about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moss Trooper (opposite), 310 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Willows Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Willows Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Willows Primary School are Wellington School (0.2 miles), Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College (0.8 miles), Altrincham College (0.9 miles) and North Cestrian School (1.2 miles).
Wellington SchoolBlessed Thomas Holford Catholic CollegeAltrincham CollegeNorth Cestrian School
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
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 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 October 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
2.9%
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 declined from 92% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 72% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
10
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Willows Primary School
Willows Newsletter Friday 24th July 2026
24 Jul 2026
Willows Newsletter Friday 22nd May 2026
22 May 2026
Willows Newsletter Thursday 2nd April 2026
2 Apr 2026
Willows Newsletter Friday 13th February 2026
13 Feb 2026
Willows Newsletter 24th October 2025
24 Oct 2025
Willows Newsletter 25th July 2025
25 Jul 2025
From Willows Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Willows Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Willows Primary School.
- School of Play @ St Hughs Timperley750m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Willows Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. 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: Monday 6 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 Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Willows Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Willows Primary School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 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 Willows Primary School
Will you get a place at Willows Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Willows Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Willows Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Willows Primary School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Willows Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Willows Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford 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
86%
Available places
360 pupils
420 places
60 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Altrincham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Altrincham
Across Trafford council
Places available
2,990
Applications
2,238
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
38
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
12.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
375
Total Pupils
197
Boys
178
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,646
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,008
Per pupil
£1907k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.8%
Overall absence
2.5%
Persistent absence
319
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
Willows Primary School
Questions parents ask about Willows Primary School
What are SATs results like at Willows Primary School?
Of the pupils at Willows Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Willows Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Willows Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Willows Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Willows Primary School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Willows Primary School?
Willows Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Willows Primary School?
Classes at Willows Primary School average 29.3 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 Willows Primary School?
Willows Primary School has around 375 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Willows Primary School?
2.8% of sessions were missed at Willows Primary School in 2024/25. 2.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Willows Primary School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming Willows 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.
Does Willows Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Willows Primary School: School of Play @ St Hughs Timperley (750m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Willows Primary School's term dates?
Willows Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Trafford. 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: Monday 6 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 Wednesday 26 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Willows Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Willows Primary School?
Willows Primary School is at Victoria Road, Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 6PP.
Sources: Trafford term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)