Meadow Primary School

Meadow Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school that joined The People's Learning Trust in January 2025. This full section 5 inspection found safeguarding standards met and a school performing strongly in several areas. Pupils are happy, attend well and behave well, and the school is calm and orderly. Early years provision is strong, with a high priority on communication, language and phonics, and children are well prepared for key stage 1. Inclusion is a notable strength: disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are well supported, and staff adapt learning effectively. Leadership and governance are strong, with leaders, governors and trustees working closely and making decisions in pupils’ interests. Staff value trust training and feel supported in workload and wellbeing. Personal development is also strong; pupils access a wide range of clubs, trips and responsibilities and learn about safety, respect and citizenship. Achievement and curriculum are secure, though not yet as strong as other areas. Pupils typically achieve well and the curriculum is ambitious and logically sequenced, but leaders should ensure pupils are consistently supported to write with greater accuracy and expertise across subjects. Overall, the school is inclusive and well led, with one clear improvement priority around writing.

Strengths

• Pupils attend regularly, with attendance above average and back to pre-pandemic levels.
• The school is calm, orderly and harmonious, with polite and kind pupils.
• Children in the early years settle quickly and develop strong independence and learning behaviours.
• Early communication, language and phonics are prioritised, helping children become fluent readers.
• The school is highly inclusive, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leaders, governors and trustees work closely and act effectively on school improvement.
• The trust provides high-quality, research-based training and supports staff workload and wellbeing.
• Pupils benefit from a broad range of personal development opportunities, clubs, trips and responsibilities.
• Pupils develop respect, safety awareness and readiness for life in modern Britain.
• Safeguarding standards are met within an open and positive culture.
• Effective support helps pupils catch up and achieve well from differing starting points.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils are not consistently supported to develop accuracy and expertise in writing across 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 Meadow Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.6% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Meadow 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 Meadow Primary School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7).

Pupils per teacher

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, 6.4% of pupils at Meadow 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ellesmere Port · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

Meadow Primary School is part of Everton Multi Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Oldfield Primary School Chester
• Bidston Avenue Primary School Birkenhead

What is Meadow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Meadow Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Meadow Primary School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Meadow Primary School have?

Meadow Primary School has 419 pupils on roll.

What age range does Meadow Primary School cover?

Meadow Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Meadow Primary School?

Meadow Primary School is at Dolphin Crescent, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH66 4SZ.