Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School

About Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School

Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent inspections. The school’s most telling academic metric is its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard, where 93% of pupils met the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure places Bishop Wilson first out of 110 primary schools in the Cheshire West and Chester local authority, and in the top five per cent nationally. The local authority average for this same measure is 61%, so the school’s result is a significant outlier. In maths, every single pupil reached the expected standard, and the average score of 106 is above the national benchmark. Reading and writing also saw 93% and 100% of pupils hitting the expected standard respectively, with 36% reaching the higher standard in reading.

The school’s Ofsted inspection history shows consistent performance. Its most recent graded inspection in 2011 rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management and early years provision also judged Good. An ungraded inspection in 2021 confirmed the school ‘remains Good’. The data suggests strong academic foundations, particularly in maths and writing, where all pupils met expectations. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 7%, which is modest but reflects the school’s small cohort of just 61 pupils. With a very low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 1.6%, the school serves a relatively advantaged intake, though its results still stand out even within that context.

Bishop Wilson is a small Church of England primary with a capacity of 105 but currently only 61 pupils on roll, giving it a noticeably intimate feel. It offers a range of facilities including a Forest School, music rooms, a chapel and a library, plus clubs such as eco club, art, drama and gardening. Sports on offer include football, athletics, cricket, cross country and tennis. The school supports pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, visual impairment and other difficulties. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed with 18 applications for 9 places, and 7 of those were first-preference offers. This is a school that will suit families who prioritise strong core academic outcomes in a small, faith-based setting, and who are comfortable with a limited but focused range of extracurricular activities.

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