School Chooser

Bridgemere CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedChurch of England94 pupilsNurseryNantwichCheshire East
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 46 to 94, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1183%England 63%
Attendance97.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places11 spare94 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher17.4School workforce census

Bridgemere CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Nantwich for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 94 pupils and room for 105. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Bridgemere Lane, Bridgemere, Nantwich, CW5 7PX01270 520271bridgemereschool.co.ukMrs Caroline Middleton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 13 February 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

18 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1183%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 19%19%20172018: 73%73%20182019: 44%44%20192023: 75%75%20232024: 89%89%20242025: 83%83%2025
Since 2017: +64%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Cheshire EastEngland
Pupils tested1891291116
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%89%75%44%73%19%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%11%8%0%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0109.0111.099.0106.0100.0106.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0108.0105.0101.0102.097.0105.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0104.098.0106.0100.0106.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard89%89%100%44%82%50%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard94%89%83%78%73%31%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%89%92%78%73%50%
Reading progressReading progress score+6.1-3.7+1.6-5.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.1-2.1-1.5-7.1
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Catchment area

Cheshire East council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 16 square kilometres. Living inside it moves your child up the queue when there are more applicants than places. It doesn't guarantee a place: the council's admissions rules decide the order.

Set your home postcode at the top of the page to see whether you live inside it.

Plenty of spare places85 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
81% full

20 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cheshire East council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll94Census January 2026
Places10590% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support16%15 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size23.54 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)18%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls53 / 41
White British pupils94%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (4), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), language and communications needs (2), Multi-sensory impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll949086939587
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%12%9%11%12%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%11%5%7%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.0%3.1%3.3%4.9%0.9%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.5%2.5%2.7%4.4%0.7%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%0.6%0.6%0.5%0.3%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.8%0.0%1.3%6.5%0.0%4.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.4full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher17.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,046
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.32022/23

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£7,682England £7,738. Total £691k
Income per pupil£7,558England £7,697. Total £680k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,936England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £65k, £722 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£11kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,682spent 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 m812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate22 per 1,000 people76% lower than the England average
Typical house price£300,000Cheshire East
Nearest bus stop0 mVilla Farm, 2 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
Woore Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy2.4 miles81Good 2023Compare
Wybunbury Delves CofE Primary SchoolAcademy2.6 miles205Report card 202661Compare
Betley CofE VC Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles100No overall grade 202441Compare
Sir John Offley CofE (VC) Primary SchoolChurch of England3.3 miles143Good 202330Compare
Audlem St James' CofE Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles173Good 202353Compare
The Meadows Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles107Outstanding 202490Compare
Weston Village Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles224Good 202278Compare
Shavington Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles477Good 202473Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bridgemere CofE Primary School with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 80 is 34 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 46 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bridgemere CofE 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
Woodseaves CE Primary AcademyAcademy13.7 miles89Good 202399Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 46 to 94. 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
+0.06
2025 and 2023 results; 18 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 18 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.12
2024/25; 79 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 18 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 Bridgemere CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Bridgemere CofE Primary School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 46 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Bridgemere CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bridgemere CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 13 February 2024.

How good are Bridgemere CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 83% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Bridgemere CofE Primary School have?

94 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Bridgemere CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 20 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Bridgemere CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 4% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bridgemere CofE Primary School?

The average class had 23.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Bridgemere Lane, Bridgemere, Nantwich, CW5 7PX
Telephone
01270 520271
Website
www.bridgemereschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Caroline Middleton
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chester
Local authority
Cheshire East
Ward
Wybunbury
Constituency
Chester South and Eddisbury
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1900
URN
111343 · LAESTAB 8953543 · UKPRN 10075903

Where these figures come from