St Martin's Academy Chester

St Martin's Academy Chester is a vibrant, welcoming primary school where pupils achieve highly both academically and personally. The inspection found outstanding provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years, with safeguarding arrangements judged effective. Pupils benefit from a highly ambitious curriculum that builds seamlessly from Reception to Year 6, expert teaching, strong early reading, effective support for pupils with SEND, and exceptional attitudes to learning. Attendance is high, pupils behave with exemplary respect, and they are exceptionally well prepared for life beyond school. The school is a free school within the North West Academies Trust. This was its first routine inspection since May 2015, having previously been exempt from routine inspection as an outstanding school. Since September 2024, schools inspected do not receive an overall effectiveness grade. The report identifies no areas for improvement or significant concerns.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious curriculum designed to build successfully on prior learning from Reception to Year 6
• Exceptional academic achievement and personal development across the school
• Expert early years support and early identification of additional needs
• Strong provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Highly effective ongoing assessment that swiftly identifies and addresses gaps
• Reading is central to the curriculum, with pupils developing fluency from Reception
• Pupils hold exceptionally high-quality discussions about their learning
• Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary
• Strong partnerships with parents and carers contribute to high attendance
• Effective personal, social, health and economic education and strong pastoral support
• Pupils are confident, respectful ambassadors who contribute to school and community life
• Trustees and governors are committed, knowledgeable and supportive
• Staff are positive about support from leaders for 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 St Martin's Academy Chester attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.0% 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 St Martin's Academy Chester 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 St Martin's Academy Chester had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.4% 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, 20.3% of pupils at St Martin's Academy Chester were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% 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 2024–25 St Martin's Academy Chester received £6,787 and spent £6,814 for each of its 174 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£104 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of North West Academies Trust Limited, income was £7,268 and spending £7,172 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chester · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

St Martin's Academy Chester is part of North West Academies Trust Limited, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• The Grosvenor Park Church of England Academy Chester
• Acresfield Academy Chester
• Delamere CofE Primary Academy Tarporley
• Tilston Parochial CofE Primary Academy Malpas
• Calveley Primary Academy Tarporley
• Weaverham Primary Academy Northwich
• The Oak View Academy Winsford
• Acton Church of England Primary Academy Nantwich
• The Rudheath Senior Academy Northwich
• Kingsbourne Academy Nantwich

What is St Martin's Academy Chester's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Martin's Academy Chester is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was St Martin's Academy Chester last inspected by Ofsted?

St Martin's Academy Chester was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does St Martin's Academy Chester have?

St Martin's Academy Chester has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Martin's Academy Chester cover?

St Martin's Academy Chester for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Martin's Academy Chester's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Martin's Academy Chester?

St Martin's Academy Chester is at 91 Hoole Road, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3NG.