Lunts Heath Primary School

Lunts Heath Primary School is a highly effective, aspirational primary school where pupils thrive. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, when it was judged outstanding and subsequently exempt from routine inspection. Under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded, but inspectors found exceptional provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years. Pupils benefit from a carefully constructed, broad and ambitious curriculum delivered consistently well from Reception to Year 6. Reading is central to the curriculum, phonics is taught strongly, and pupils who fall behind catch up quickly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified swiftly and supported to access the same ambitious curriculum, and they achieve exceptionally well. Behaviour is excellent, pupils are respectful and feel safe, and the personal development offer is exceptionally strong. Leadership is characterised by rigorous self-evaluation and a positive culture of improvement. Governors bring wide-ranging expertise, staff are well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The report did not identify any significant concerns or areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Broad, ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum across all subjects
• Curriculum delivered consistently well from Reception to Year 6
• Strong subject leadership and detailed support for teachers
• Effective assessment and regular recall of prior learning
• High priority on early language and vocabulary development
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and phonics is taught consistently well
• Pupils who fall behind in phonics receive prompt, skilled support and catch up quickly
• Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly and achieve exceptionally well
• Excellent behaviour and respectful, harmonious relationships across the school
• Exceptional personal development offer that prepares pupils well for future life
• Strong early years provision that builds firm foundations for learning
• Effective governance, staff support and consideration of workload and well-being
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Lunts Heath Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 0.0% of pupils at Lunts Heath Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Lunts Heath Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 11.9% of pupils at Lunts Heath Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 Lunts Heath Primary School received £6,008 and spent £6,210 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £25,000 (-£61 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

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

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Lunts Heath Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lunts Heath Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Lunts Heath Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lunts Heath Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Lunts Heath Primary School have?

Lunts Heath Primary School has 419 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lunts Heath Primary School cover?

Lunts Heath Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lunts Heath Primary School?

Lunts Heath Primary School is at Wedgewood Drive, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 9RJ.