Wolverham Primary and Nursery School

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School is an inclusive, well-led school where pupils feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Inspectors found strong practice in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and personal development. Pupils’ conduct is respectful, relationships are positive, and staff use ambitious curriculums and effective training to meet pupils’ needs. The school serves a context with above-average disadvantage and a high proportion of pupils with EHC plans, and it has responded well, including through specialist SEND provision and close tracking of vulnerable pupils. Pupils leave Year 6 well prepared for secondary school, with attainment in national tests close to average, and disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes have improved, particularly in writing and mathematics. However, attainment in the key stage 1 phonics screening check has been below national benchmarks for some time, linked in part to the high level of SEND need; leaders’ work to improve this is ongoing. Early years is positive overall but has some inconsistencies in early reading that leaders are addressing. Leadership and governance are secure, with accurate oversight, clear improvement priorities and strong trust and governing board support. Inspectors confirmed safeguarding standards are met. The main next steps are to continue strengthening the early years curriculum, including early reading, and to help pupils make deeper cross-curricular links so they build on prior knowledge. Overall, this is a strong school with no urgent concerns, and leaders are focused on the right areas for further development.

Strengths

• Attendance is close to national average overall, with disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND exceeding national attendance rates.
• Leaders are relentless in improving attendance, supported by strong family relationships and initiatives such as a free breakfast club.
• Behaviour is underpinned by high expectations and caring relationships, creating a harmonious and purposeful school climate.
• Pupils are respectful, self-disciplined and confident, and older pupils act as role models for younger pupils.
• Bullying and discrimination are rare, and pupils trust adults to deal with incidents swiftly.
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculums are in place across all subjects.
• Staff receive high-quality training and share best practice within the trust and local cluster.
• Teaching is clear and well adapted, with skilful questioning and retrieval practice to check and secure learning.
• SEND identification is quick and accurate, with strong parental involvement and tailored support from external specialists.
• Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum, enrichment and leadership opportunities as their peers.
• Personal development is extensive and carefully shaped around the school context, with strong pastoral care.
• Pupils learn how to stay physically and mentally healthy, manage risks, and understand healthy relationships and consent.
• Pupils show respect for diversity and a meaningful understanding of fundamental British values.
• Enrichment activities, clubs, trips and pupil leadership roles are wide-ranging and well used.
• Leaders, governors and the trust have accurate oversight, clear improvement priorities and strong statutory compliance.
• Staff feel well supported, and leaders prioritise wellbeing and professional development.
• Parents and carers speak positively about the school and appreciate its personal development offer.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which concerns are actively identified and managed.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ attainment in the key stage 1 phonics screening check has been below national benchmarks for some time.
• Some pupils, particularly those with SEND, need more time to acquire the phonics knowledge and skills needed for early reading.
• There are inconsistencies in early years reading acquisition that leaders are still addressing.
• Leaders’ work to strengthen the early years curriculum and improve phonics attainment is ongoing.
• Older pupils can recall prior learning, but they are not yet consistently making meaningful cross-curricular links to deepen their knowledge.
• Leaders should continue strengthening the early years curriculum, including early reading, so children are better prepared for Year 1.
• Leaders should continue work to improve pupils’ achievement and help them make meaningful links between subjects.

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 Wolverham Primary and Nursery School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.6% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Wolverham Primary and Nursery 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 Wolverham Primary and Nursery School had 21.5 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, 13.0% of pupils at Wolverham Primary and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 11.9% 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 Wolverham Primary and Nursery School received £9,621 and spent £8,882 for each of its 263 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £177,000 (£673 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Concordia Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,084 and spending £7,842 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 Ellesmere Port · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School is part of Concordia Multi Academy Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• William Stockton Community Primary School Ellesmere Port
• Parklands Community Primary and Nursery School Ellesmere Port
• Childer Thornton Primary School Ellesmere Port
• Upton Westlea Primary School Chester
• Lache Primary School Chester
• Town Lane Infant School Wirral
• Willow Wood Community Nursery and Primary School Winsford
• Wimboldsley Community Primary School Middlewich
• Highfields Academy Nantwich

What is Wolverham Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wolverham Primary and Nursery School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Wolverham Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Wolverham Primary and Nursery School have?

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School has 277 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wolverham Primary and Nursery School cover?

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Wolverham Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wolverham Primary and Nursery School?

Wolverham Primary and Nursery School is at Milton Road, Wolverham, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 5AT.