School Chooser

Beechwood Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedCouncil151 pupilsRuncornHalton
School Chooser Score
60
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 29 to 84, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 68% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1171%England 63%
Attendance96.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull151 pupils, 140 places
Pupils per teacher18.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll151Census January 2026

Beechwood Primary School is a council school in Runcorn for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 151 pupils, 11 more than it has places for. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 61 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it.

Grasmere Drive, Beechwood, Runcorn, WA7 2TT01928 560479beechwoodschoolruncorn.co.ukMrs Gemma Snell headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

21 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1171%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 45%45%20172018: 82%82%20182019: 65%65%20192023: 64%64%20232024: 45%45%20242025: 71%71%2025
Since 2017: +26%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HaltonEngland
Pupils tested212025202820
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%45%64%65%82%45%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%0%0%15%11%10%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0102.0107.0102.0105.0101.0104.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0102.0105.0105.0105.0102.0103.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0103.0105.0102.0104.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%70%80%70%82%55%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%70%76%85%89%60%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%85%72%95%96%75%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.3-1.4+1.7-3.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4+1.4+2.5-2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged46%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
82%60%
Gap 22 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full152 pupils for 158 places, 2024/25
96% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.0 miles away in 2026, 2.0 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.0 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary202158221.0 milesLA
2024 Primary202149212.0 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 1.5 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.5 miles of the school£177,750half sold for £135k to £235k
Homes sold738December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-7%a typical home in the district sells for £191,500

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll151Census January 2026
Places140108% full
Pupils from low-income families21%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan10%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size19.36 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£38,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls79 / 72
White British pupils96%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 7 pupils, for speech, language and communication.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Halton with speech, language and communication provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 22.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Other difficulty or disability (4), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll151152151158163161
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%17%19%20%19%19%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%1%1%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%17%17%14%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%9%9%8%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%5.0%4.7%5.1%2.7%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.5%3.2%3.9%2.0%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.5%1.5%1.2%0.7%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.3%5.8%9.4%7.9%4.4%3.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.70.01.30.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers8.0full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher18.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,076
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.72024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,102England £7,738. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£7,996England £7,697. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,843England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £49k, £323 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£16kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,102spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m4412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate25 per 1,000 people72% lower than the England average
Typical house price£190,000Halton
Nearest bus stop50 mBeechwood, 8 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Hallwood Park Primary School and NurseryAcademy440 m83Inadequate 202214Compare
Hillview Primary SchoolCouncil550 m168Good 202344Compare
Woodside Primary SchoolCouncil800 m116Good 202274Compare
Our Lady Mother of the Saviour Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic0.8 miles178Report card 202677Compare
Halton Lodge Nursery & Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles205Requires improvement 202123Compare
Palace Fields Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles127Not inspected38Compare
The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.0 miles75Good 202413Compare
Castle View Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles176Good 202288Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Beechwood Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats68%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 61 is 18 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 42 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Beechwood Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Bradshaw Primary SchoolAcademy7.9 miles159Not inspected66Compare
Brackenwood Infant SchoolCouncil12.9 miles155Outstanding 202397Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 61 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 61% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 29 to 84. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 21 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.02
DfE progress measure; 21 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 132 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 21 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Beechwood Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Beechwood Primary School scores 61 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 68% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 29 to 84, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are Beechwood Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 71% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Beechwood Primary School have?

151 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 108% full.

Is Beechwood Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.0 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Beechwood Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Beechwood Primary School?

The average class had 19.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Beechwood Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Grasmere Drive, Beechwood, Runcorn, WA7 2TT
Telephone
01928 560479
Website
www.beechwoodschoolruncorn.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Gemma Snell
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Halton
Ward
Beechwood & Heath
Constituency
Runcorn and Helsby
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
111175 · LAESTAB 8762382 · UKPRN 10074514

Where these figures come from