Pikemere School

Pikemere School is a warm, caring and inclusive primary school where pupils are known, valued and well supported as individuals. Inspectors found safeguarding standards met and judged attendance and behaviour, and inclusion, to be particular strengths: pupils attend regularly, behave exceptionally well, and pupils with SEND or other vulnerabilities are identified early and supported effectively. Published outcomes are largely above national averages, and pupils progress well from their starting points across a broad curriculum. The school is part of Chancery Multi-Academy Trust and has a relatively small pupil population, with low levels of disadvantage but a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with EHC plans. Leadership and governance are effective, staff feel well supported, and parents are extremely positive. The main areas for improvement are that feedback to some pupils is not clear enough to help them improve, and the personal development offer should be developed further so more pupils gain a detailed understanding of the full range of ways people live differently in modern Britain.

Strengths

• Exemplary pupil behaviour and attitudes to learning, with pupils rarely needing reminders.
• Very low persistent absence and highly effective attendance monitoring and support.
• Strong inclusion, with early identification of needs and swift removal of barriers.
• Pupils achieve above national averages and progress well from their starting points.
• Carefully designed curriculum and secure subject knowledge across the school.
• Adaptive teaching that meets individual needs, including for pupils with SEND.
• Well-considered early years provision that develops curious, confident learners.
• Effective leadership and governance with accurate oversight and clear improvement priorities.
• Strong staff support, training and attention to workload and wellbeing.
• Broad personal development, pastoral care and enrichment opportunities accessible to all.
• Pupils feel safe, respected and included, and relationships are positive throughout.

Areas for Improvement

• Feedback to some pupils about how to improve is not as clear as it could be.
• Personal development offer does not yet ensure all pupils have detailed knowledge of the full range of ways people live differently in modern Britain.

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 Pikemere School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.7% 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, 0.4% of pupils at Pikemere 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 Pikemere School had 24.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.5% 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, 13.4% of pupils at Pikemere School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% 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 Pikemere School received £6,435 and spent £6,166 for each of its 248 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £149,000 (£601 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Chancery Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,291 and spending £6,119 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 Cheshire East · Cheshire East local authority: places and applications

Pikemere School is part of Chancery Multi Academy Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Excalibur Primary School Stoke-On-Trent
• Elworth Hall Primary School Sandbach
• The Berkeley Academy Crewe
• Willaston Primary Academy Nantwich

What is Pikemere School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pikemere School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Pikemere School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pikemere School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Pikemere School have?

Pikemere School has 254 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pikemere School cover?

Pikemere School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Pikemere School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pikemere School?

Pikemere School is at Pikemere Road, Cheshire East, Alsager, Cheshire, ST7 2SW.