Middlewich Primary School

Middlewich Primary School is a generally strong and well-led school. Safeguarding standards are met, pupils behave well and attend regularly, and most areas of provision are securely at the expected standard. The Reception Year is a particular strength: children get an excellent start, with high expectations, a vocabulary-rich curriculum and rapid support for those with barriers to learning. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages by the end of Year 6, disadvantaged pupils' outcomes have improved, and the curriculum is carefully sequenced across subjects. Leaders and governors know the school well and have responded to previous priorities, including improving disadvantaged pupils' achievement and provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils benefit from a rich personal development offer, including trips, clubs, community work and pastoral support. The specially resourced provision for pupils with hearing impairment is effective, and staff working there are well trained. There are still areas to sharpen. Not enough pupils reach greater depth in writing, and teaching consistency in writing needs further development. Some SEND information is not shared as effectively as it could be, and training for a small number of staff has not been timely, so a few pupils with SEND do not access learning as well as they could. Leaders also need to sustain high attendance for disadvantaged pupils over time. The school has a new headteacher and chair of governors since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Reception Year gives children an excellent start, especially in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Early years curriculum is ambitious and vocabulary-focused, with expert activities and timely checks on learning.
• Children with barriers to learning are identified quickly and supported very well in early years.
• Pupils behave well, work diligently and act kindly and respectfully towards one another.
• Leaders have established a safe, welcoming environment where bullying is not tolerated and issues are addressed quickly.
• Attendance is highly positive overall, and persistent absence is below national averages.
• Curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6 and helps pupils build knowledge across many subjects.
• Pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision, typically progress well from their starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment has improved, supported by effective use of pupil premium funding.
• Governors provide strong strategic oversight, focused challenge and support.
• Personal development is rich, with trips, clubs, community activities and pastoral support.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Not enough pupils achieve at greater depth in writing.
• Teaching consistency in writing needs further development.
• Information on how best to support pupils with SEND is not always shared effectively.
• Training on supporting pupils with SEND has not been timely for a small number of staff.
• A small number of pupils with SEND do not access learning as well as they could.
• High attendance for disadvantaged pupils needs to be sustained over time.

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 Middlewich Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.4% 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 Middlewich 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 Middlewich Primary School had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.3% 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, 13.4% of pupils at Middlewich Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Middlewich Primary School received £6,501 and spent £6,393 for each of its 404 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £357,000 (£883 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).

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All schools in Middlewich · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

What is Middlewich Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Middlewich Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Middlewich Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Middlewich Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Middlewich Primary School have?

Middlewich Primary School has 404 pupils on roll.

What age range does Middlewich Primary School cover?

Middlewich Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Middlewich Primary School?

Middlewich Primary School is at Park Road, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 9BS.