Woodlands Primary School, Ellesmere Port
Woodlands Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ellesmere Port. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 20 schools in Ellesmere Port with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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
Woodlands Primary School in detail
Woodlands Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Woodlands Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% 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 rose from 64% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Woodlands Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put Woodlands Primary School as their first choice and 122 named it as one of their preferences, for 63 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 Woodlands Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woodlands Primary School are Meadow Primary School (0.4 miles); Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 72% maths); Ellesmere Port Christ Church CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 66% reading, 59% maths); and St Saviour's Catholic Primary and Nursery School, A Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles).
Woodlands Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Meadow Primary SchoolOur Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary SchoolEllesmere Port Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolSt Saviour's Catholic Primary and Nursery School, A Voluntary Academy
Who goes there
10.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 29 pupils (5.4%) received SEN support and 46 (8.6%) 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.
Woodlands Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 40 places, 40 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Capenhurst Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (bay 2), 340 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodlands 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 122 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woodlands Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Woodlands Primary School are The Whitby High School (0.2 miles); Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles); and Ellesmere Port Church of England College (1 mile).
The Whitby High SchoolEllesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademyEllesmere Port Church of England College
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
17.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 64% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 54% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.7
Avg class size
21.9
Infant (KS1)
28.6
KS2
19
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Woodlands Primary School
Term dates
Woodlands Primary School is a community 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 Woodlands Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woodlands 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
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 10 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 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 Woodlands Primary School
Will you get a place at Woodlands Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woodlands Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woodlands Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woodlands Primary School.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Woodlands Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woodlands 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
81%
Available places
451 pupils
560 places
109 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ellesmere Port
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ellesmere Port
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
46
EHC Plans
14.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Woodlands Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 40 places, 40 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
533
Total Pupils
279
Boys
254
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
21.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,133
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,195
Per pupil
£2554k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
12.0%
Persistent absence
408
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
Questions parents ask about Woodlands Primary School
What are SATs results like at Woodlands Primary School?
Of the pupils at Woodlands Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Woodlands Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Woodlands Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Woodlands Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Woodlands 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 Woodlands Primary School?
Woodlands Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 560 places.
How big are the classes at Woodlands Primary School?
Classes at Woodlands Primary School average 25.7 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 Woodlands Primary School?
Woodlands Primary School has around 533 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Woodlands Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Woodlands Primary School has a resourced provision for autism: 40 places, 40 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Woodlands Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Woodlands Primary School in 2024/25. 12% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woodlands Primary School?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Woodlands 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 Woodlands Primary School's term dates?
Woodlands Primary School is a community 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 Woodlands Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 10 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 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 Woodlands Primary School?
Woodlands Primary School is at Eddisbury Road, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH66 2JT.
Sources: Cheshire West and Chester term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)