Tarvin Primary School

About Tarvin Primary School

Tarvin Primary School sits within the Cheshire West and Chester local authority, a large area with 128 primary schools where only 14 currently hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school itself ranks 41st out of 110 primaries in the LA on our measure of KS2 reading, writing and maths combined, placing it in the top 50 nationally. Its closest high-performing peers include Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School, Delamere CofE Primary Academy and Childer Thornton Primary School, all of which score higher on the same metric. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Kelsall Primary and Nursery School, 3.7 kilometres away. Headteacher Andrew Davies leads a mixed, non-religious state primary for 239 pupils aged 4 to 11, operating well within its capacity of 315. The school has a notably low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 4.2%, well below the national average, which gives some context to its academic profile.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2012, Tarvin Primary was rated Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. An ungraded inspection in March 2023 confirmed the school remains Good, and the report noted that leadership continues to be a strength. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 69% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, comfortably above the local authority average of 61%. Reading and maths average scores were 106 and 105 respectively, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 7% of pupils achieved the higher threshold across all three subjects, with 26% reaching that level in reading and maths individually. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the attainment figures are solid for a school of this size.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including playing fields, a forest school, library, sensory room, gymnasium and music rooms, plus a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, athletics, swimming and cricket, while extracurricular clubs include science, art, gardening, coding, eco and chess. The school has identified SEND provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 28 first-preference applications were made for 29 total places, with 50 applications overall, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.72. This suggests strong local demand, and families considering Tarvin should be aware that securing a place is not guaranteed, particularly for those outside the immediate catchment. It is a good fit for families who value strong core academic outcomes, a wide range of enrichment activities and a school with a calm, well-led atmosphere.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Tarvin Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents