School Chooser

Whitby Heath Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil406 pupilsEllesmere PortCheshire West and Chester
School Chooser Score
58
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 38 to 75
Out of 100. Better than 49% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, February 2025
Reached the expected level at 1152%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families11%Far fewer than most schools
Places14 spare406 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.3School workforce census

Whitby Heath Primary School is a council school in Ellesmere Port for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 406 pupils and room for 420. About 11 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 58 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 49% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Wyedale, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6RJ0151 355 1781whitbyheath.cheshire.sch.ukMr Stuart Wright headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 4 February 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1152%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 49%49%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 63%63%20192023: 50%50%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 52%52%2025
Since 2017: +3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Cheshire West and ChesterEngland
Pupils tested606060595849
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths52%57%50%63%64%49%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%5%2%5%10%10%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0107.0104.0104.0104.0103.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0105.0103.0105.0104.0102.0104.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0106.0104.0108.0107.0106.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%87%68%80%81%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard72%78%63%80%78%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%63%58%78%76%78%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.2+0.8+0.1-0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.7+1.1+0.1-1.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged36%57%23%42%31%23%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged55%57%57%68%73%58%

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
36%55%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
47%57%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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.

Catchment area

Cheshire West and Chester council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 1.7 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.

Nearly full405 pupils for 420 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 Cheshire West and Chester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What a home inside the catchment costs

Typical sale price inside the catchment£241,500half sold for £215k to £299k
Homes sold154December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-7%a typical home in the district sells for £261,000

Every home sold inside the council's catchment area, 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 roll406Census January 2026
Places42097% full
Pupils from low-income families11%11% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%67 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.014 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)11%£69,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls203 / 203
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), emotional and mental health (18), Moderate learning difficulty (10), Specific learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll406406405409415411
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals11%12%12%14%13%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%4%3%3%3%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%12%9%9%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%5.1%5.0%6.5%3.1%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.7%3.9%5.5%2.6%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.4%1.1%1.0%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.0%12.6%11.9%18.4%5.9%8.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.70.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers20.0full-time equivalent, 24 people
Pupils per teacher20.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants13.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,806
Teachers who left in the year3%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.42024/25

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£6,160England £7,738. Total £2.5m
Income per pupil£6,018England £7,697. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,922England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £235k, £580 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£57kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,160spent 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 m11612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate76 per 1,000 people17% lower than the England average
Typical house price£260,000Cheshire West and Chester
Nearest bus stop260 mDeeside, 12 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
Ellesmere Port Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England370 m197Good 202218Compare
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic510 m290Good 202241Compare
The Oaks Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles172Requires improvement 20243Compare
Woodlands Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles533Good 202317Compare
St Bernard's Roman Catholic Primary & Nursery SchoolAcademy0.7 miles209Good 202042Compare
Wolverham Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.7 miles277Report card 202666Compare
William Stockton Community Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles367Not inspected18Compare
Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil0.8 miles256Good 202344Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Whitby Heath 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.

Beats49%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 58 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 61 · highest 98100

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 Whitby Heath 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
Christ The King Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic9.0 miles414Report card 202564Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 58 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 58% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 38 to 75. 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
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.31
Ofsted grade, 1.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.09
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 350 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.12
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 Whitby Heath Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Whitby Heath Primary School scores 58 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 49% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 38 to 75, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Whitby Heath Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Whitby Heath Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 4 February 2025.

How good are Whitby Heath Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 52% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Whitby Heath Primary School have?

406 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Whitby Heath 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 Whitby Heath Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Whitby Heath Primary School?

The average class had 29.0 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
Wyedale, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6RJ
Telephone
0151 355 1781
Website
www.whitbyheath.cheshire.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Stuart Wright
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Ward
Whitby Park
Constituency
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
111087 · LAESTAB 8962240 · UKPRN 10077822

Where these figures come from