Wistaston Church Lane Academy
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Wistaston Church Lane Academy is a converter academy in Crewe for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 416 pupils and room for 433. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 89 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it.
Church Lane, Wistaston, Crewe, CW2 8EZ01270 663619wclacademy.co.ukMrs Sarah Lees acting headteacherAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
61 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Cheshire East | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 61 | 61 | 60 | 54 | 57 | 58 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 70% | 90% | 82% | 67% | 67% | 55% | 65% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 21% | 15% | 6% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 110.0 | 107.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 103.0 | 106.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 107.0 | 109.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 103.0 | 105.1 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 106.0 | 108.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 75% | 95% | 87% | 74% | 81% | 71% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 82% | 93% | 87% | 80% | 77% | 69% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 82% | 92% | 87% | 80% | 75% | 72% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +2.9 | -2.1 | -0.8 | -2.5 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +3.9 | -0.7 | -1.2 | -2.9 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 33% | 57% | 57% | 50% | – | 71% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 77% | 94% | 85% | 69% | – | 53% | – | – |
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
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.
Cheshire East council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 1.2 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.
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 4% 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 East council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What a home inside the catchment costs
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.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.1 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (25), emotional and mental health (12), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Other difficulty or disability (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 416 | 432 | 433 | 412 | 418 | 418 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 7% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 6% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 13% | 11% | 10% | 6% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 4.2% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 1.9% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.2% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.6% | 1.6% | 2.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 8.1% | 11.6% | 7.2% | 11.6% | 2.2% | 3.4% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Crewe | Roman Catholic | 0.8 miles | 558 | Good 2023 | 16 | Compare |
| Wistaston Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 491 | Outstanding 2024 | 90 | Compare |
| Willaston Primary Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 251 | Good 2023 | 50 | Compare |
| Vine Tree Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 200 | Good 2023 | 29 | Compare |
| The Berkeley Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 456 | Good 2019 | 65 | Compare |
| Gainsborough Primary & Nursery Academy | Academy | 1.1 miles | 417 | Good 2022 | – | Compare |
| Pebble Brook Primary School | Foundation | 1.2 miles | 330 | Good 2024 | 38 | Compare |
| Edleston Primary School | Council | 1.3 miles | 209 | Not inspected | 61 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Wistaston Church Lane Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 89 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 89% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 79 to 95. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | above | +0.29 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 61 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well above | +0.29 | DfE progress measure; 61 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.13 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.09 | 2024/25; 372 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.10 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 61 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Wistaston Church Lane Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Wistaston Church Lane Academy scores 89 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 79 to 95, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
How good are Wistaston Church Lane Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 70% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Wistaston Church Lane Academy have?
416 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 433 places, so it is 96% full.
Is Wistaston Church Lane Academy oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Wistaston Church Lane Academy?
Pupils were in school 95.8% 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 Wistaston Church Lane Academy?
The average class had 27.2 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
- Church Lane, Wistaston, Crewe, CW2 8EZ
- Telephone
- 01270 663619
- Website
- www.wclacademy.co.uk
- Acting Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Lees
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Learning Partnership Academies Trust (15 schools)
- Local authority
- Cheshire East
- Ward
- Wistaston
- Constituency
- Crewe and Nantwich
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2015 (academy converter)
- URN
- 141568 · LAESTAB 8953812 · UKPRN 10048348
- Formerly
- Wistaston Church Lane Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Catchment area: Cheshire East council open data (Open Government Licence), reprojected to WGS84.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.