School Chooser

Church Drive Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy323 pupilsNurseryWirral
School Chooser Score
54
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 32 to 73
Out of 100. Better than 76% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1169%England 63%
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families31%A bit more than most schools
PlacesFull323 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

Church Drive Primary School is a converter academy in Wirral for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 323 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 54 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 76% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Church Drive, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5EF0151 645 5527churchdriveprimary.co.ukMiss Ashlee Wise headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1169%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level10%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 64%64%20172018: 66%66%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 60%60%20232024: 63%63%20242025: 69%69%2025
Since 2017: +5%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†WirralEngland
Pupils tested424142424139
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths69%63%60%55%66%64%57%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths10%7%5%10%7%10%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0105.0102.0104.0104.0104.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0104.0103.0102.0104.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0103.0104.0104.0104.0105.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard69%78%74%64%71%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%71%76%67%73%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)71%73%74%71%80%72%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.1-0.1+0.2+0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4-0.4-0.2+1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged53%43%50%33%56%47%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged80%74%63%67%74%75%

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.

† These results are for Church Drive Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 1 of the 3 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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
53%80%
Gap 27 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%86%
Gap 36 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%10%
Gap 4 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 full301 pupils for 315 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 stayed about the same 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 Wirral 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 roll323Census January 2026
Places315103% full
Pupils from low-income families32%31% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%86 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.910 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils10%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)29%£133,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls149 / 174
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (53), emotional and mental health (18), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (12), Specific learning difficulty (8), Physical disability (6), Multi-sensory impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll323336328333338348
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals32%30%22%24%21%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%5%3%3%4%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%16%20%15%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%5%1%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%5.2%5.5%6.8%2.9%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%4.1%4.3%5.8%2.4%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%1.1%1.2%1.0%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.6%13.2%12.5%17.7%6.6%6.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.31.20.94.72.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Church Drive Primary School, the school this one replaced in March 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.2full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,599
Teachers who left in the year20%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.62024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,173England £7,128. Total £2.0m
Income per pupil£7,579England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,842England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £137k, £424 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£454kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,173spent 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 m17512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate63 per 1,000 people31% lower than the England average
Typical house price£218,000Wirral
Nearest bus stop70 mWindy Bank, 17 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
Grove Street Primary SchoolCouncil790 m312Good 20228Compare
St Andrew's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy850 m205No overall grade 2025Compare
St John's Catholic Infant SchoolRoman Catholic0.6 miles189Good 202352Compare
St John's Catholic Junior SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles239Good 202313Compare
Brackenwood Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles155Outstanding 202397Compare
Stanton Road Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles282Report card 202635Compare
Brackenwood Junior SchoolAcademy0.9 miles199Good 202378Compare
St Anne's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.0 miles247Not inspected32Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Church Drive Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats76%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 54 is 11 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 42 · highest 85100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Church Drive 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
St Bede's Catholic Junior SchoolRoman Catholic11.0 miles306Good 202059Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 54 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 54% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 32 to 73. 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
-0.02
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 42 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 42 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 261 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 42 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 Church Drive Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Church Drive Primary School scores 54 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 76% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 32 to 73, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Church Drive Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Church Drive Primary School good at its last full inspection on 13 June 2023.

How good are Church Drive Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 69% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 10% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Church Drive Primary School have?

323 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 103% full.

Is Church Drive Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Church Drive Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Church Drive Primary School?

The average class had 25.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 10% of classes 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
Church Drive, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5EF
Telephone
0151 645 5527
Website
www.churchdriveprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Ashlee Wise
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Oak Trees Multi Academy Trust (13 schools)
Local authority
Wirral
Ward
Bromborough
Constituency
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2019 (academy converter)
URN
143505 · LAESTAB 3442266 · UKPRN 10063114
Formerly
Church Drive Primary School

Where these figures come from