Oughtrington Primary School

Oughtrington Primary is a happy, high-performing school where pupils and staff are proud to belong. Pupils behave exceptionally well, trust staff to help them, and benefit from strong relationships, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Attendance is strong, early years routines are well established, and pupils’ personal development is a standout feature, with an unusually rich set of wider opportunities and a strong pupil voice. The curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious, and reading is central to the school’s work. Phonics is taught effectively, pupils who need extra help are well supported, and most become accurate readers by the end of key stage 1. Teachers assess learning well and adapt resources skilfully so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their classmates. Leadership is effective, governance and trust oversight are knowledgeable, and staff workload and well-being are considered. This was the school’s first routine section 5 inspection. Its predecessor school was previously judged outstanding before Oughtrington became an academy, and under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. The main area to improve is that, in a couple of subjects, the curriculum does not set out the important knowledge pupils should learn in enough detail, which limits how deeply pupils can learn in those areas. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils behave exceptionally well and are excellent role models.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, form very positive relationships with staff and feel happy at school.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious, with careful thought given to pupils’ needs and interests.
• Reading is integral to the school’s work and pupils enjoy it.
• Phonics is taught effectively, and pupils practise with books that match the sounds they are learning.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and resources are adapted skilfully so they learn the same curriculum.
• Attendance is strong and pupils sustain high levels of concentration from early years onwards.
• Personal development is exemplary, with a vast range of lunchtime activities and opportunities to nurture talents.
• Pupils take responsibilities seriously and have a strong voice in school decisions.
• Leadership, governance and trust oversight are effective, and staff well-being is considered.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a couple of subjects, the curriculum is not sufficiently clear about the important knowledge pupils need to learn, limiting the depth of knowledge pupils gain.

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 Oughtrington Primary School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Oughtrington 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 Oughtrington Primary School had 24.4 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, 17.6% of pupils at Oughtrington Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Oughtrington Primary School received £5,915 and spent £6,347 for each of its 391 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £320,000 (£818 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of The Beam Education Trust, income was £6,460 and spending £6,646 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

Oughtrington Primary School is part of The Beam Education Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Ravenbank Primary School Lymm
• Statham Primary School Lymm
• Thelwall Infant School Warrington

What is Oughtrington Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oughtrington Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Oughtrington Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oughtrington Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Oughtrington Primary School have?

Oughtrington Primary School has 391 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oughtrington Primary School cover?

Oughtrington Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oughtrington Primary School?

Oughtrington Primary School is at Howard Avenue, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9EH.