Woodfall Primary and Nursery School, Neston
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Neston, part of Expedition Schools. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 6 schools in Neston with published results, and 2,822nd of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School in detail
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 3 December 2026 and an open day on Wednesday 9 June 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cheshire West and Chester
Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 74% in Cheshire West and Chester and 77% and 75% across England.
Getting a place at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Woodfall Primary and Nursery School as their first choice and 68 named it as one of their preferences, for 38 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woodfall Primary and Nursery School are St Winefride's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 70% maths); Neston Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 56% reading, 61% maths); Willaston CofE Primary School (1.6 miles, Outstanding, 90% reading, 70% maths); and Parkgate Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 100% reading, 95% maths).
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Winefride's Catholic Primary SchoolNeston Primary SchoolWillaston CofE Primary SchoolParkgate Primary School
The trust
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School is one of 13 schools run by Expedition Schools, an academy trust.
What parents say
114 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Woodfall Primary and Nursery School (as of September 2025): 76% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 53% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (53%).
Who goes there
12.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 49 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 29 (6.6%) 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 Neston Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Rock Farm Close (cnr), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodfall Primary and Nursery School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 30 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodfall Primary and Nursery School issued 3 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2024. Before that, as Woodfall Primary School (URN 135019), it was rated Outstanding in November 2014.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School creates a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive and feel safe. The school excels in early years education, with nursery children developing exceptional communication skills. Pupils of all ages show exemplary behaviour and genuine enthusiasm for learning, supported by a thoughtfully designed curriculum and staff who use their subject knowledge to explain ideas clearly.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils are exemplary and show high levels of motivation and resilience
- Exceptional early years provision - children develop language and communication skills exceptionally well and are very well prepared for the next phase of learning
- Strong reading promotion - pupils read widely and often, with well-trained staff providing tailored support using phonics-matched books
- Ambitious broad curriculum - carefully constructed to build knowledge securely over time with tailored support for pupils who need it
- Excellent staff support and training - staff appreciate workload management and receive ongoing professional development
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent identification of pupils' misconceptions - sometimes misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough, particularly for pupils with SEND, which hinders how deeply they learn
- Limited understanding of different faiths and cultures - while pupils learn about British values and tolerance, some do not have a deep enough understanding of different faiths and cultures
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Tennis, football, hockey, outdoor education visits, art gallery trips, museum visits, peer counsellor roles, team captain positions, eco crew, school council, breakfast club, after-school provision
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School is a warm and friendly place where pupils feel safe and achieve well across a wide range of subjects. The school was previously judged outstanding and continues to maintain high standards with exceptional early years provision.
At a Glance
12.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
114 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
30.6
Avg class size
25.8
Infant (KS1)
33.0
KS2
11
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
Term dates
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cheshire West and Chester's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woodfall Primary and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodfall Primary and Nursery 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
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woodfall Primary and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woodfall Primary and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woodfall Primary and Nursery School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Woodfall Primary and Nursery School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School for 2025 and 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
97%
Near capacity
406 pupils
420 places
14 spare places 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
17.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
438
Total Pupils
216
Boys
222
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,009
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2185k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
11.8%
Persistent absence
355
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Woodfall Primary and Nursery School
What are SATs results like at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Of the pupils at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Woodfall Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2024. Before that, as Woodfall Primary School (URN 135019), it was rated Outstanding in November 2014.
What is the catchment area for Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodfall Primary and Nursery 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 Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Classes at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School average 30.6 pupils (2025/26). 6 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School has around 438 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Woodfall Primary and Nursery School in 2024/25. 11.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodfall Primary and Nursery 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.
How many road collisions happen near Woodfall Primary and Nursery 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, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Woodfall Primary and Nursery School?
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School is at Woodfall Lane, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 4BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)