Holmes Chapel Primary School

Holmes Chapel Primary is a strong, well-led school where pupils are proud to attend and behaviour is exemplary. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, pupils achieve well, and personal development is exceptional. The school is part of The Aspire Academy Trust and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic; it had previously been exempt after an outstanding judgement in 2015, and no overall effectiveness grade is awarded under the current framework. Leaders have made early reading and phonics a high priority, and most pupils become fluent, expressive readers by the end of Year 6. Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported well, the personal, social and health education curriculum is thoughtfully planned, attendance is high, and governance and trust support are effective. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main concern is that a small number of pupils at an early stage of reading are not ready to learn the same phonics sounds as their classmates and fall behind. Although they receive additional support that is better matched to their needs, it is not timely or effective enough, so these pupils do not learn to read as accurately and fluently as they could.

Strengths

• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum from early years to Year 6
• Pupils achieve well and produce work of a high standard
• Early reading and phonics are given high priority
• Pupils become fluent, expressive readers by the end of Year 6
• Behaviour is exemplary and pupils are kind, safe and respectful
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and teaching is adapted well
• Personal, social and health education develops confidence, empathy and mutual respect
• Pupils have many leadership, club and enrichment opportunities
• Attendance is high for the vast majority of pupils
• Governance and trust support leaders well
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of early readers are not ready for the class phonics sounds and fall behind
• Additional reading support for these pupils is better matched but not timely or effective enough
• These pupils do not learn to read as accurately and fluently as they could

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 Holmes Chapel Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.0% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Holmes Chapel 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 Holmes Chapel Primary School had 24.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.6% 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, 13.2% of pupils at Holmes Chapel Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Holmes Chapel Primary School received £6,099 and spent £6,010 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £394,000 (£939 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of The Aspire Educational Trust, income was £6,867 and spending £6,913 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 Crewe · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Holmes Chapel Primary School is part of The Aspire Educational Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Sandbach Primary Academy Sandbach
• Peover Superior Endowed Primary School Knutsford
• Victoria Road Primary School Northwich
• Underwood West Academy Crewe
• Ivy Bank Primary School Macclesfield
• Ash Grove Academy Macclesfield
• Parkroyal Community School Macclesfield
• Hollinhey Primary School Macclesfield
• Puss Bank School and Nursery Macclesfield
• The Wilmslow Academy Wilmslow

What is Holmes Chapel Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holmes Chapel Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Holmes Chapel Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Holmes Chapel Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Holmes Chapel Primary School have?

Holmes Chapel Primary School has 401 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holmes Chapel Primary School cover?

Holmes Chapel Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holmes Chapel Primary School?

Holmes Chapel Primary School is at Middlewich Road, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, Cheshire, CW4 7EB.