Astmoor Primary School

Astmoor Primary School is performing well overall. Inspectors found a happy, inclusive school where pupils feel valued and respected, behaviour is strong, and classrooms are calm and purposeful. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, early reading is taught consistently, pupils with SEND are identified early and supported well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Parents are very positive about the school, staff feel well supported, and governors know the school well. The main area for improvement is that the curriculum is not yet delivered as intended in a few subjects. In these subjects, some pupils do not learn the intended knowledge, and some activities do not help pupils build a deep understanding. Leaders need to ensure all staff have the subject knowledge and expertise to deliver these curriculums well so that pupils secure the intended knowledge over time. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. No overall effectiveness grade was awarded under the current framework, but all key judgements were good. The school also has a specially resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, and inspectors noted its inclusive culture and careful support for pupils with complex SEND.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, respectful and cooperative, and behaviour around school is strong.
• The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum with key knowledge carefully identified.
• In many subjects, pupils build secure knowledge over time and staff check understanding effectively.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
• The specially resourced provision uses carefully designed individual learning journeys to build learning in small steps.
• Early reading is taught consistently, with a strong focus on communication, language and vocabulary.
• Most pupils read accurately and with comprehension by the end of key stage 1, and older pupils enjoy reading.
• The school works with families to improve attendance and punctuality.
• Pupils’ wider development is strong, including community, cultural, health and sporting opportunities.
• The school is inclusive, parents are very positive, staff feel supported, and governors are knowledgeable.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as intended, so pupils sometimes do not learn what they should.
• Some learning activities do not help pupils secure a deep understanding of the intended curriculum.
• Gaps and misconceptions remain in pupils’ knowledge in the subjects where delivery is weaker.
• Staff subject knowledge and expertise are not consistently strong enough to deliver all curriculums effectively.

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 Astmoor Primary School attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 34.7% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Astmoor 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 Astmoor Primary School had 14.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 25.0% of pupils at Astmoor Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.0% 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 Astmoor Primary School received £11,437 and spent £10,566 for each of its 144 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £33,000 (£233 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 Runcorn · Halton local authority: places and applications

What is Astmoor Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Astmoor Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Astmoor Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Astmoor Primary School have?

Astmoor Primary School has 144 pupils on roll.

What age range does Astmoor Primary School cover?

Astmoor Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Astmoor Primary School?

Astmoor Primary School is at Kingshead Close, Castlefields, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2JE.