Astbury St Mary's CofE Primary School

About Astbury St Mary's CofE Primary School

Astbury St Mary's CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in Cheshire East, a local authority with 123 primary schools where just 13 hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school sits at rank 113 in the LA, placing it in the bottom half of its peers locally. For context, the top-performing schools in the area include Peover Superior Endowed Primary School, Bexton Primary School, and Ashdene Primary School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. With 95 pupils on roll against a capacity of 120, the school is not at full capacity, yet it is oversubscribed: for 14 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 62 applications, with 11 first-preference offers made. That oversubscription ratio of 4.43 suggests strong local demand despite the modest ranking, likely driven by its village setting and Church of England character.

Academically, the school's most recent KS2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. In reading, 57% of pupils reached the expected standard and 29% achieved a higher score, with an average scaled score of 103. Maths fared better: 71% met the expected standard and 43% reached the higher threshold, with an average score of 104. However, no pupils met the expected standard in the combined reading, writing and maths measure, and writing data is absent from the published results. The LA average for expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 64%, so Astbury's 0% in that combined metric is a clear outlier. The school's ranking metric is based on that combined figure, which explains its bottom-50 tier position nationally. Ofsted visited in March 2023 and rated the school Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2017.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite, library, art studios, playing fields, a forest school, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, dance, rounders, athletics, and cross country, while clubs include choir, gardening, science club, book club, and eco club. SEND support is available for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With nursery provision on site, it suits families looking for a single setting from age three through to Year 6. The oversubscription means applicants need to be strategic, particularly if they are not regular churchgoers, as faith-based admissions criteria often apply at CofE schools. For families prioritising a small, village-school feel with strong pastoral support and a recent Ofsted turnaround, Astbury St Mary's is worth a closer look, though the academic results suggest it may not suit those focused on top-tier KS2 outcomes.

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