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Fairfield Primary School

Primary Ages 4-11 582 pupils Widnes
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Widnes

Fairfield Primary School is a community school in Widnes for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has 582 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Fairfield Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024. In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: April 2024. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Community school
Age Range 4-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Peelhouse Lane
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 6TH
Phone 01514240123
Reference Number 111197

General Makeup

Number of pupils 582
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 51.03%
Girls: 48.97%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 32.3%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 12.5%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 27.9
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 24.4
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 30.5

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 44 39 83
2 31 36 67
3 48 41 89
4 44 48 92
5 54 38 92
6 43 48 91

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 80.9%
White, Other 6.4%
Mixed, Other 2.7%
Asian, Other 1.9%
Indian 1%
African 1%
White & Asian 0.9%
Chinese 0.7%
Pakistani 0.7%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.2%
White & Black (African) 0.2%

Fairfield Primary School continues to demonstrate a good standard of education, with a clear commitment to the academic and personal success of its pupils. High expectations are set for all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring that they flourish in a supportive and nurturing environment. The school's curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, helping pupils build upon their prior knowledge effectively. The school prides itself on providing a vibrant and engaging educational experience, enriched by various clubs and activities that enhance learning.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 20 Feb 2024
Date Report
20 Feb 2024 School inspection
20 Feb 2019 Short inspection
13 Jan 2015 Full inspection:
15 Jan 2013 Interim assessment
14 Jul 2010 Full inspection:
21 Mar 2007 Full inspection:
13 Jan 2003 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Pupils perform well academically and socially.
  • The school has a strong emphasis on reading and literacy.
  • Staff are knowledgeable and skilled in delivering the curriculum.
  • Effective support is provided for pupils with SEND.
  • Pupils demonstrate good behaviour and respect for one another.
  • There is strong community engagement and involvement of pupils in leadership roles.

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils lack sufficient opportunities to recap and recall previous learning.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 68%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 13%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 107
Maths 106

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 2
Writing 2.3
Maths 0.6

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 26 1
Third Preference 37 0
From another Local Authority 1 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Fairfield Primary School had 595 pupils for 630 places. 35 places (5.6%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Widnes East Primary” planning area

Halton counted 384 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 341 in 2029–30, down 11%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 320320320320560560560560630630630630630630630
Pupils 279292299279517526538556566569602614615591595
Unfilled 12.8%8.8%6.6%12.8%7.7%6.1%3.9%0.7%10.2%9.7%4.4%2.5%2.4%6.2%5.6%

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Fairfield Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.3%3.4%4.1%3.4%2.9%2.7%2.6%4.7%3.3%2.9%3.1%
Unauthorised absence 1.0%0.9%1.1%1.5%1.8%1.3%0.9%1.5%1.8%1.6%1.3%
Severely absent pupils 0.4%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.2%0.0%0.2%0.2%0.0%0.2%

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.7% of pupils at Fairfield Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 4.60.31.43.10.20.21.90.00.71.20.00.20.00.51.01.2
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000010

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Fairfield Primary School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 15.316.111.621.69.910.411.311.811.312.511.111.111.310.212.412.8
Teachers who left state teaching 7.6%7.4%0.0%0.0%5.0%7.1%14.6%11.0%10.1%2.1%0.0%2.9%5.9%6.9%3.1%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 62.5%76.5%73.7%64.3%45.7%67.6%61.3%55.2%41.2%–23.5%62.2%55.6%50.0%42.4%–
Sick days per teacher 9.52.72.84.45.36.98.33.75.3–2.03.32.24.95.3–

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 25.1% of pupils at Fairfield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 84 2
Moderate learning difficulty 28 0
Social, emotional and mental health 22 2
Hearing impairment 6 0
No specialist assessment of need 2 0
Other difficulty or disability 2 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 0 1
Physical disability 0 1
Severe learning difficulty 0 1
Specific learning difficulty 1 0
Vision impairment 1 0

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Fairfield Primary School received £6,790 and spent £6,765 for each of its 582 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £201,000 (£346 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £132,000£279,000£299,000£253,000£232,000£237,000£186,000£201,000
per pupil £230£480£503£411£377£404£314£346
In-year balance £1,000£147,000£20,000-£46,000-£21,000£5,000-£50,000£15,000
per pupil £2£252£34-£75-£34£9-£85£26

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

Name Distance
St Bede's Catholic Infant School
Leigh Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6EL
0.36 miles
St Bede's Catholic Junior School
Appleton Village, St Bede's Junior School, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6EL
0.37 miles
Birchfield Nursery School
Victoria Avenue, widnes, WA8 7TH
0.43 miles
Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School
Naylor Road, Widnes, WA8 0BS
0.6 miles
Kingsway Primary Academy School
Kingsway, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7QS
0.66 miles
Brookfields School
Moorfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3JA
0.67 miles
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School
Edward Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0BW
0.69 miles
Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School
Pit Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9HS
0.71 miles
Moorfield Primary School
School Way, Moorfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3HJ
0.83 miles
St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School
Lugsdale Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6DD
0.84 miles
Lunts Heath Primary School
Wedgewood Drive, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9RJ
0.85 miles
Ditton Primary School
Liverpool Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HD
1.04 miles
Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Ditton Nursery School
Dundalk Road, Widnes, WA8 8DF
1.17 miles
Holy Family Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Hall Lane, Cronton, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 5DW
1.76 miles
Widnes Academy
Cholmondeley Street, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0EL
1.81 miles
All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Hough Green Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 4PG
1.84 miles
St Michaels Catholic Primary & Nursery School
St Michael's Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8TD
1.85 miles
Cronton Church of England Primary Academy
Smithy Lane, Cronton, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 5DF
1.9 miles
Oakfield Community Primary School
Edinburgh Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 8BQ
2.06 miles
St Basil's Catholic Primary School
Hough Green Road, Hough Green, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 4SZ
2.11 miles
Name Distance
Wade Deacon High School
Birchfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7TD
0.38 miles
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School
Highfield Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7DW
0.62 miles
The Raise Academy
Naylor Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0BS
0.66 miles
Riverside College Halton
Kingsway, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7QQ
0.83 miles
Poppy Field School
18 Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DH
0.9 miles
Chesnut Lodge Special School
Green Lane, Ditton, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HF
1.11 miles
Ashley High School
Cawfield Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HG
1.18 miles
Ormiston Chadwick Academy
Liverpool Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7HU
1.39 miles
Tower College
Mill Lane, Prescot, L35 6NE
2.61 miles
Rainhill High School
Warrington Road, Rainhill, Prescot, Merseyside, L35 6NY
2.77 miles
The Grange School
Latham Avenue, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5DX
2.8 miles
Ash Meadow School
Jubits Lane, St Helens, WA9 4RT
2.89 miles
Weston Point College
Picow Farm Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4UN
2.92 miles
Rivacre Brook
Westways, Hooton Park Lane, Hooton, Ellesmere Port, CH65 1AN
3.09 miles
Great Sankey High School
Barrow Hall Lane, Great Sankey, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 3AA
3.2 miles
Penketh High School
Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 2BY
3.36 miles
Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy
Grangeway, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5YH
3.43 miles
The Heath School
Clifton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4SY
3.44 miles
The Sutton Academy
Elton Head Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5AU
3.61 miles
Hope Corner School
70 Clifton Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 4TD
3.63 miles

All schools in Widnes · Halton local authority: places and applications

What is Fairfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fairfield Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Fairfield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fairfield Primary School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Fairfield Primary School have?

Fairfield Primary School has 582 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fairfield Primary School cover?

Fairfield Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Fairfield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fairfield Primary School?

Fairfield Primary School is at Peelhouse Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6TH.

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