A Cheshire primary school has been hailed as Outstanding by Ofsted inspectors.

Willaston Church of England Primary School has recently been rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas, following on from a two-day graded Ofsted inspection at the end of February.

This follows a previous ungraded inspection in November 2022, which suggested that, at the time, the school could have been judged outstanding had a graded section 5 inspection been carried out.

Inspectors found that "pupils are excited to come into school each day" and that they are "celebrated for their individuality. This makes them feel happy. The school has exceptionally high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged consistently live up to these expectations. They achieve highly."

The inspectors added: "Pupils relish the opportunity to learn. They shine in all they do. This is reflected in the exceptional quality of work that pupils produce."

Beyond the classroom, inspectors found that "pupils take full advantage of the vast array of clubs on offer", with pupils "particularly proud of their sports achievements and the displays of their artwork".

In visiting classrooms, analysing a range of evidence and taking to children, staff and parents, inspectors praised the school’s ambitious curriculum stating: "The school is extremely ambitious for pupils", and as a result of this hard work, "this broad and balanced curriculum flows seamlessly from the beginning of early years to Year 6."

Underpinning the high standards throughout school, "staff receive high-quality, ongoing training that enables them to craft curriculum content well. This also helps to ensure that the curriculum is delivered exactly as intended. Staff are expertly equipped to design learning activities that enable pupils to learn especially well."

There is a clear focus placed on reading. It was found that "the school has placed reading at the heart of the curriculum’, and that ‘the school has successfully cultivated pupils’ love of reading."

Children’s personal development was also praised, with inspectors saying: "The way that the school develops pupils’ character is praiseworthy. Pupils pride themselves on making everyone feel welcome in their school, regardless of any differences that they may have.

"Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect. They are polite, friendly and eager to converse with adults. Pupils’ rates of attendance are high. They know that attending school regularly will help them learn all that they can."

Leaders at the school were praised for supporting staff wellbeing and workload. The report states that "staff are overwhelmingly positive about how the school takes their workload and well-being into consideration".

Willaston Church of England Primary School is located in the village of Willaston near Neston. There are currently 215 pupils on roll and the headteacher is Gary Graham.