Stretton St Matthew's CofE Primary School

About Stretton St Matthew's CofE Primary School

Stretton St Matthew's CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary in Warrington that is running very close to capacity, with 207 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 210. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 9.7%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively advantaged intake. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 67 applications for just 30 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.23 to one. Of those, 25 were first-preference applications, and 24 first-preference offers were made, indicating that almost every family who put it first secured a place, but competition for the remaining spots is fierce. The school is mixed-gender and serves children aged 4 to 11, with no nursery provision or sixth form. Headteacher Sian Simcock leads a school that clearly commands high local regard, and the near-full roll reinforces that reputation.

Academically, Stretton St Matthew's is among the strongest primaries in Warrington. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the local authority average of 69%. Every single pupil met the expected standard in both reading and maths individually, with average scores of 110 and 109 respectively. At the higher standard, 17% achieved the combined benchmark, while 52% hit the higher bar in reading and 45% in maths. These results place the school second out of 55 primary schools in Warrington, in the top 5% nationally, and 24th out of over 2,000 primaries in the North West. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all as Outstanding, while early years provision and personal development were rated Good. The previous inspection in 2015 also awarded Outstanding overall.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including playing fields, a library, a sensory room, art studios, a sports hall, a chapel, and a forest school. Sports on offer include football, athletics, netball, dance and rounders, while clubs range from chess and gardening to drama and choir. SEND provision is in place for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health support, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views are overwhelmingly positive: 91% of the 46 respondents would recommend the school, and 94% strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy there. For families seeking a high-performing, oversubscribed Church of England primary with strong academic outcomes and a clear sense of community, Stretton St Matthew's is a compelling choice, though securing a place will require a first-preference application given the level of demand.

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