Penketh South Community Primary School

Penketh South Community Primary School is a happy, welcoming school where pupils achieve well and feel safe. Inspectors found strong attendance and behaviour: attendance is consistently above national averages, pupils behave extremely well, and relationships are warm and respectful. The curriculum has been refined since the last inspection, teaching is consistently well delivered, and pupils with SEND progress well from their starting points. Early years provision is nurturing and purposeful, and personal development is a notable strength, with a wide range of enrichment and leadership opportunities. Safeguarding standards are met. Most areas are judged at the expected standard. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities, and trust and governance arrangements are effective. The school is part of The Challenge Academy Trust and has a new headteacher. Outcomes in reading and mathematics are generally in line with or above national averages, though writing remains an area to improve, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. The main areas for development are precision of support for pupils who struggle with early reading and writing, assessment that better identifies next steps, and consistent teaching of subjects beyond English and mathematics. SEND plans need to be more precise and parents and carers should be involved more closely in shaping support. A small number of pupils do not secure key early reading and writing skills before Year 1.

Strengths

• Attendance is consistently above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Pupils behave extremely well in lessons and around school, creating a calm and purposeful atmosphere.
• Pupils feel safe and are well supported; bullying and unkind behaviour are dealt with swiftly.
• Leaders have refined the curriculum so that key knowledge is sequenced logically across subjects.
• Teaching is consistently well delivered, with high expectations and activities that capture pupils’ interest.
• Pupils with SEND progress well from their starting points and learn alongside their peers.
• Early years provision is welcoming and nurturing, with purposeful play and strong vocabulary development.
• Personal development is carefully crafted, with rich enrichment, international links and leadership opportunities.
• Leaders, trust and governors have clear roles and provide effective support and challenge.
• Staff wellbeing is valued and professional learning has improved key areas of the school’s work.
• Parents appreciate the caring ethos and leaders’ willingness to listen and respond.
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit from targeted support and enrichment opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Support for pupils who struggle with early reading and writing is not precise enough.
• Teachers’ assessment does not clearly identify pupils’ next steps.
• Some subjects beyond English and mathematics are not taught as consistently as other areas.
• Some pupils’ recall of subject content lacks detail because they cannot build securely on prior knowledge.
• Some SEND plans do not precisely reflect the provision pupils need.
• Leaders do not involve parents and carers closely enough in shaping SEND support.
• A small number of pupils do not secure key early reading and writing skills before Year 1.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ writing outcomes are below national averages and the disadvantage gap is wide.

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 Penketh South Community Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.1% 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 Penketh South Community 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 Penketh South Community Primary School had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Penketh South Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Penketh South Community Primary School received £6,773 and spent £6,554 for each of its 230 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £148,000 (£642 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Challenge Academy Trust, income was £7,634 and spending £7,638 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 Warrington · Warrington local authority: places and applications

Penketh South Community Primary School is part of The Challenge Academy Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Penketh High School Warrington
• Great Sankey Primary School Warrington
• Dallam Community Primary School Warrington
• Priestley College Warrington
• Beamont Collegiate Academy Warrington
• Meadowside Community Primary and Nursery School Warrington
• Bridgewater High School Warrington
• Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School Warrington
• Broomfields Junior School Warrington
• Padgate Academy Warrington

What is Penketh South Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Penketh South Community Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Penketh South Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Penketh South Community Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Penketh South Community Primary School have?

Penketh South Community Primary School has 230 pupils on roll.

What age range does Penketh South Community Primary School cover?

Penketh South Community Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Penketh South Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Penketh South Community Primary School?

Penketh South Community Primary School is at Finlay Avenue, Penketh, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 2PN.