Willaston CofE Primary School
Neston Road, Willaston, Neston, CH64 2TN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Gary Graham
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chester
- Constituency
- Chester North and Neston
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 212
- URN
- 111245
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01518325360
About this school
Willaston CofE Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Neston. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 212 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 69% | 81% | 67% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 31% | 20% |
| Expected standard in reading | 84% | 91% | 90% |
| Expected standard in maths | 72% | 91% | 70% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 81% | 72% | 73% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 110.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -2.30 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Willaston CofE Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cheshire West and Chester average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 69% | 57.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 81% | 57.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 67% | 59.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 3.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 208 |
| 2023/24 | 213 |
| 2024/25 | 214 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Willaston CofE Primary School compares
Willaston CofE Primary School ranked 43rd of 116 primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 87% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 67% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 212 | — |
| Woodfall Primary and Nursery School | 79% | 5.3% | 12.2% | 438 | 1.6 miles |
| St Winefride's Catholic Primary School | 67% | 4.2% | 26.5% | 153 | 1.7 miles |
| Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School | 43% | 11.8% | 60.9% | 72 | 2.0 miles |
| Brookhurst Primary School | — | — | — | — | 2.0 miles |
| Neston Primary School | 50% | 7.2% | 38.5% | 146 | 2.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 28 February 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report1 December 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 3.74%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 3.83%
- Persistent absence
- 4.92%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School1.6 miles
Primary · Neston
-
St Winefride's Catholic Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Neston
-
Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Wirral
-
Brookhurst Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Wirral
-
Neston Primary School2.1 miles
Primary · Neston
Other schools in Neston
Willaston CofE Primary School ranks 4th of the 6 ranked primary schools in Neston.
- Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School Primary
- Neston Primary School Primary
- Parkgate Primary School Primary
- St Winefride's Catholic Primary School Primary
- Woodfall Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Neston High School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Willaston CofE Primary School teach?
- Willaston CofE Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Neston.
- Who is the headteacher of Willaston CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of Willaston CofE Primary School is Mr Gary Graham, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Willaston CofE Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Willaston CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Willaston CofE Primary School?
- Willaston CofE Primary School has 212 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Willaston CofE Primary School full?
- Willaston CofE Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 212 on roll (101%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Willaston CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Willaston CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chester.
- Does Willaston CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Willaston CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Willaston CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 69% in 2022/23 and 67% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Willaston CofE Primary School rank locally?
- Willaston CofE Primary School ranked 43rd of 116 primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 57% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 87% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Willaston CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- Willaston CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 3.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Willaston CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Willaston CofE Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.