Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School is performing well and has been rated as good overall, with strengths highlighted in areas such as behavior and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision which are considered outstanding. The school's curriculum is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of its pupils, allowing them to excel academically and in extracurricular activities. Pupils exhibit high levels of engagement in their learning, and there is a strong sense of community with a supportive environment that promotes well-being and safety.

Strengths

• Outstanding behavior and attitudes of pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Well-planned curriculum that supports deep understanding across subjects.
• High-quality teaching in mathematics and phonics.
• Strong early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities that promote personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers require further support to teach reading comprehension skills effectively.
• Need for continued training for teachers in history.

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 Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.3% 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 Bunbury Aldersey 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 Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% 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, 21.5% of pupils at Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.5% 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 2023–24 Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School received £5,995 and spent £6,026 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £11,000 (£56 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of Chester Diocesan Academies Trust, income was £6,548 and spending £6,555 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 Tarporley · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School is part of Chester Diocesan Academies Trust, which runs 32 schools. The nearest others:

• Huxley CofE Primary School Chester
• St Oswald's Worleston CofE Primary School Nantwich
• Clutton Church of England Primary School Chester
• Norley Church of England Primary School Frodsham
• Warmingham CofE Primary School Sandbach
• Wybunbury Delves CofE Primary School Nantwich
• Kingsley St John's CofE Primary School Frodsham
• Overleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary School Chester
• Upton Heath CofE Primary School Chester
• Dodleston CofE Primary School Chester

What is Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School have?

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School has 200 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School cover?

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School?

Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School is at School Lane, Bunbury, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 9NR.