Cronton Church of England Primary Academy
Smithy Lane, Cronton, Widnes, WA8 5DF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anne-Marie Willis
- Diocese
- Diocese of Liverpool
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Liverpool
- Constituency
- Widnes and Halewood
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 233
- URN
- 143456
- Local authority
- Knowsley
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01514243881
About this school
Cronton Church of England Primary Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Widnes. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 233 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Cronton Church of England Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out 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 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 83% | 67% | 65% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 10% | 13% |
| Expected standard in reading | 93% | 83% | 87% |
| Expected standard in maths | 83% | 77% | 65% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 87% | 73% | 87% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 110.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +3.90 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +3.50 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.10 | - | - |
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 Cronton Church of England Primary Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Knowsley average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 83% | 57.5% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 67% | 57.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 65% | 57.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 235 |
| 2023/24 | 236 |
| 2024/25 | 233 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Cronton Church of England Primary Academy compares
Cronton Church of England Primary Academy ranked 18th of 48 primary schools in Knowsley for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 65% | 4.4% | 8.2% | 233 | — |
| Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery | 68% | 4.4% | 12.2% | 216 | 0.2 miles |
| All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 46% | 6.9% | 54.6% | 182 | 0.8 miles |
| St Basil's Catholic Primary School | 62% | 4.6% | 55.6% | 223 | 1.1 miles |
| St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School | 78% | 4.6% | 11.4% | 279 | 1.2 miles |
| Oakdene Primary Academy | — | — | — | 206 | 1.3 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.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 8.21%
- English as an additional language
- 3%
- Overall absence
- 4.43%
- Persistent absence
- 6.11%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery0.2 miles
Primary · Widnes
- 0.8 miles
-
St Basil's Catholic Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Widnes
-
St Bartholomew's Catholic Primary School1.2 miles
Primary · Prescot
-
Oakdene Primary Academy1.3 miles
Primary · Prescot
Other schools in Widnes
Cronton Church of England Primary Academy ranks 9th of the 19 ranked primary schools in Widnes.
- All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Ditton Primary School Primary
- Fairfield Primary School Primary
- Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School Primary
- Halebank CofE Primary School Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery Primary
- Kingsway Primary Academy School Primary
- Lunts Heath Primary School Primary
- Moorfield Primary School Primary
- Oakfield Community Primary School Primary
- Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School Primary
- St Basil's Catholic Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Cronton Church of England Primary Academy teach?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Widnes.
- Who is the headteacher of Cronton Church of England Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Cronton Church of England Primary Academy is Mrs Anne-Marie Willis, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Cronton Church of England Primary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Cronton Church of England Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Cronton Church of England Primary Academy?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy has 233 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Cronton Church of England Primary Academy full?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy has capacity for 210 pupils and 233 on roll (111%), 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 Cronton Church of England Primary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Cronton Church of England Primary Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Liverpool.
- Does Cronton Church of England Primary Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Cronton Church of England Primary Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is Cronton Church of England Primary Academy part of an academy trust?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy is part of LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Cronton Church of England Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 83% in 2022/23 and 65% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Cronton Church of England Primary Academy compare with other schools in Knowsley?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy ranked 18th of 48 primary schools in Knowsley for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 74% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Cronton Church of England Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Cronton Church of England Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Cronton Church of England Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Cronton Church of England Primary Academy'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 2 July 2026.