Chesterton Primary School

Chesterton Primary School is a small, inclusive school that is performing at the expected standard overall, with inclusion and personal development and wellbeing judged as strong. Leaders have created a caring, ambitious culture in which vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are well supported and known as individuals. Pupils behave well, feel safe, attend increasingly regularly and benefit from a broad curriculum and rich enrichment offer. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, and pupils’ personal development prepares them well for life in modern Britain. The main areas for development are assessment and subject leadership. Teachers do not always use assessment consistently enough to help pupils secure knowledge over time, and in a few subjects subject leadership is at an earlier stage, so improvements are not yet fully reflected in pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Mathematics outcomes at the end of Year 6 have been below national expectations, although the report notes this was affected by significant numbers of pupils joining late with gaps in mathematical knowledge and says the current picture is much better. Persistent absence has improved but remains above national averages. The school is part of the Collective Vision Trust and has had a new headteacher since the last inspection. It serves a small pupil population with a well-above-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, in an area with above-average deprivation. Leaders, governors and the trust are described as diligent and supportive, with an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive ethos with high expectations for vulnerable pupils
• Early and effective identification of pupils’ needs
• Well-targeted support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively and has intended impact
• Rigorous checking and adaptation of SEND interventions
• Rich personal development programme reflecting the school’s values
• Strong promotion of cultural diversity and fundamental British values
• High-quality pastoral care and strong links with families
• Pupils achieve well in reading and phonics
• Writing achievement has improved
• Multiplication tables check outcomes are above national averages
• Attendance is tracked systematically and persistent absence has reduced significantly
• Positive behaviour and respectful relationships across the school
• Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively
• Curriculum is well sequenced with clear essential knowledge
• Effective early years provision, including for two-year-old children
• Staff receive high-quality professional learning and feel well supported
• Trust and local governors provide effective challenge and support

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment approaches are not used consistently enough to secure pupils’ knowledge over time
• Some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could
• Subject leadership in a few subjects is at an earlier development stage
• Improvements in teaching and learning are not yet fully embedded across all subjects
• Year 6 mathematics outcomes have been below national expectations
• Persistent absence remains above national averages
• Disadvantaged pupils’ combined outcomes and gaps in writing and mathematics remain areas to watch

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 Chesterton Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Chesterton Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Chesterton Primary School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.6% 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, 18.7% of pupils at Chesterton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 Chesterton Primary School received £8,021 and spent £7,697 for each of its 168 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £426,000 (£2,543 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Collective Vision Trust, income was £7,093 and spending £7,352 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 Newcastle-Under-Lyme · Staffordshire local authority: places and applications

Chesterton Primary School is part of Collective Vision Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Churchfields Primary School Newcastle
• Chesterton Community Sports College Newcastle
• Crackley Bank Primary School Newcastle
• Bursley Academy Newcastle
• Woore Primary and Nursery School Crewe
• Cheswardine Primary and Nursery School Market Drayton
• Hinstock Primary School Market Drayton

What is Chesterton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Chesterton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chesterton Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Chesterton Primary School have?

Chesterton Primary School has 155 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chesterton Primary School cover?

Chesterton Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chesterton Primary School?

Chesterton Primary School is at Brittain Avenue, Chesterton, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 7NT.