School Chooser

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham

Primary · ages 4-11MixedRoman Catholic151 pupilsNorthwichCheshire West and Chester
School Chooser Score
78
Above
similar schools
Likely range 56 to 89
Out of 100. Better than 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2023
Reached the expected level at 1173%England 63%
Attendance96.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families6%Far fewer than most schools
Places59 spare151 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher17.6School workforce census

St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Northwich for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 151 pupils and room for 210. About 6 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 78 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Keepers Lane, Weaverham, Northwich, CW8 3BY01606 852149st-bedes.cheshire.sch.ukMs Louise Conlon headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 31 October 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
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1173%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
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: 70%70%20172018: 70%70%20182019: 84%84%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 63%63%20242025: 73%73%2025
Since 2017: +3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Cheshire West and ChesterEngland
Pupils tested303030252730
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths73%63%70%84%70%70%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%7%3%12%11%13%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0107.0108.0108.0108.0106.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0107.0106.0104.0105.0104.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0106.0107.0109.0109.0107.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%90%93%92%93%80%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%80%93%88%78%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%80%77%88%81%70%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.8+2.9+2.1+1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.8+0.1-0.4-0.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%79%

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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
33%83%
Gap 50 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
82%68%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%7%
Gap 7 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places170 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
81% full

40 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 16% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 West and Chester 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 roll151Census January 2026
Places21072% full
Pupils from low-income families6%6% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%20 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.86 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)5%£12,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls64 / 87
White British pupils82%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (9), language and communications needs (6), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll151175190192198194
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6%8%11%9%9%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%10%10%9%9%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%13%11%11%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.5%4.5%5.0%5.6%3.1%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.7%4.2%5.0%2.7%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.8%0.8%0.6%0.4%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.4%7.1%8.4%16.8%6.3%2.3%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.

Teachers8.6full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher17.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,923
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

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£6,366England £7,738. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£6,319England £7,697. Total £1.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,335England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £104k, £595 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£8,317it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,366spent 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 m4012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate39 per 1,000 people57% lower than the England average
Typical house price£260,000Cheshire West and Chester
Nearest bus stop80 mPrimary School, 5 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
Weaverham Primary AcademyAcademy630 m113Good 202322Compare
Weaverham Forest Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles225Good 202213Compare
Hartford Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles396Good 202168Compare
Hartford Manor Primary School & NurseryCouncil1.3 miles442Good 202378Compare
Winnington Park Community Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil1.4 miles420Report card 202645Compare
Barnton Community Nursery and Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles482Outstanding 202394Compare
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.6 miles191Good 202263Compare
Charles Darwin Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.7 miles331Report card 202667Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats63%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 78 is 7 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 70 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 78 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 78% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 56 to 89. 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%above
+0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.07
DfE progress measure; 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 163 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham scores 78 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 63% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 56 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham good at its last full inspection on 31 October 2023.

How good are St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 73% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham have?

151 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 72% full.

Is St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham oversubscribed?

Probably not. 40 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham?

Pupils were in school 96.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Bede's Catholic Primary School, Weaverham?

The average class had 20.8 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
Keepers Lane, Weaverham, Northwich, CW8 3BY
Telephone
01606 852149
Website
www.st-bedes.cheshire.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms Louise Conlon
Type of school
Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of Shrewsbury
Local authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Ward
Weaver & Cuddington
Constituency
Chester South and Eddisbury
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
111341 · LAESTAB 8963538 · UKPRN 10070197

Where these figures come from