Whitegate CofE Primary School

Whitegate CofE Primary School has demonstrated effective measures to uphold the standards from its previous inspection, maintaining a strong and supportive educational environment. Pupils benefit from a caring community, developing confidence and positive attitudes towards learning, while achieving well academically and being prepared for their future education. The school emphasizes a broad array of opportunities in areas such as music, drama, and sports, further enhancing students' school experiences. While the school excels in several areas, including a well-structured phonics program and a focus on personal development, there are some concerns around the curriculum delivery in subjects outside of English and mathematics. Some pupils struggle to retain learning in these areas due to inadequately designed activities. Additionally, the school's understanding of student progress in these subjects needs improvement to ensure all pupils achieve their potential.

Strengths

• Pupils are well cared for and feel safe in a friendly environment.
• High emphasis on reading, with successful phonics program.
• Strong personal development opportunities through various extracurricular activities.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and strong engagement in discussions.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Governors provide appropriate challenge and support staff well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, activities do not effectively help pupils retain learning.
• Lack of deep overview on pupil knowledge in subjects outside of English and mathematics.

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 Whitegate CofE Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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, 3.3% of pupils at Whitegate CofE 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 Whitegate CofE Primary School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.7% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Whitegate CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Whitegate CofE Primary School received £7,397 and spent £7,573 for each of its 141 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £63,000 (-£447 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 Northwich · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

What is Whitegate CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Whitegate CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitegate CofE Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Whitegate CofE Primary School have?

Whitegate CofE Primary School has 141 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitegate CofE Primary School cover?

Whitegate CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitegate CofE Primary School?

Whitegate CofE Primary School is at Whitegate, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 2AY.