Bexton Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining Knutsford primary with nursery and strong inclusion

Bexton Primary School combines a large, busy primary with a two-year-old and nursery offer, and a clear focus on inclusion. It is part of Cheshire Academies Trust, and serves families around Bexton and wider Knutsford.

Results place it well above most schools in England for primary outcomes. In 2024, 97.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and 51.33% reached the higher standard. Those are the kinds of figures that usually reflect consistent teaching routines, tight monitoring of gaps, and pupils who are ready to work. (All performance and ranking statements in this review use the provided dataset.)

There is also clear evidence of practical pastoral structures. The most recent inspection confirmed the school remained Good and reported safeguarding as effective.

This is a school where daily routines and shared language matter. The inspection describes pupils as feeling safe and supported, and points to systems that help children speak up early when worries arise. That kind of culture usually shows up in calmer corridors, fewer small issues escalating, and pupils who know which adult to go to when something is wrong.

Leadership is stable. The headteacher is Mrs Emily Armstrong, and school governance information indicates she has been in post since 2016. Stability matters in primaries because it allows curriculum sequencing, staff development, and expectations around behaviour to bed in over years rather than terms.

The physical footprint is modern by Cheshire standards. A school prospectus describes the original infant and junior buildings being built in 1967, with a later corridor build in 2012 that joined the buildings. That kind of layout often supports phase-appropriate spaces, while still letting pupils feel part of one whole school as they move through.

The outcomes data is unusually strong.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined): 97.33% (2024), compared with an England average of 62%.

• Higher standard (greater depth) in reading, writing and maths combined: 51.33% (2024), compared with an England average of 8%.

Those gaps are so large that they are hard to explain by cohort variation alone. They tend to come from consistent curriculum delivery, effective early reading, and pupils being stretched beyond the minimum.

Rankings reinforce that picture. Bexton is ranked 430th in England and 2nd in the Knutsford area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places it well above England average (top 10%) in the FindMySchool percentile banding.

If you want to compare this performance with other local options quickly, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool approach is useful, because it lets you line up outcomes and demand indicators side by side without relying on marketing language.

The curriculum is described in the latest inspection as carefully designed, ambitious, and sequenced from two-year-old provision and nursery through to Year 6. The practical implication for families is continuity. When sequencing is clear, pupils are less likely to hit “new topic shock” each year, and more likely to build secure knowledge over time.

Early reading is an obvious strength. The inspection references a phonics programme, staff training, and close matching of books to the sounds pupils are learning. That combination usually correlates with fewer pupils needing catch-up later, and more pupils moving into Key Stage 2 able to access the wider curriculum confidently.

The same inspection is also honest about what still needs tightening. It notes that, at times, learning is not designed consistently enough to help pupils learn as well as they could, and that in a small number of subjects the long-term checks do not always identify gaps precisely. For parents, that is less about headline results (which are already strong) and more about consistency between classes and subjects.

As a Knutsford primary, the most common next step is local secondary transfer. A school prospectus states that the majority of pupils move on to Knutsford Academy, and that transition procedures are in place to prepare children for that move.

Knutsford Academy’s published admissions policy lists Bexton as one of its partner primary schools, which can matter for families trying to understand how secondary admissions criteria interact with attendance at local primaries.

Practical implication: if your long-term plan is a Knutsford secondary place, it is sensible to read the secondary admissions policy alongside primary choice, because criteria such as catchment, siblings, and partner primary status can shape probabilities at Year 7.

Reception entry for September 2026 was through Cheshire East’s coordinated admissions process, with the on-time deadline stated as 15 January 2026. The council timetable also sets out the key milestones for that admissions round, including offers issued on 16 April 2026 and an acceptance deadline of 30 April 2026.

For families planning ahead for future years, the pattern is consistent: applications typically open in early September, with a mid-January deadline and offers in mid-April, but you should always verify the current year’s dates.

Demand indicators point to competition. For the primary entry route in the provided dataset, there were 124 applications for 60 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. That ratio means families should treat this as a plan-with-backups situation rather than assuming proximity alone will be enough.

The school also publishes its own admissions policy for 2026 to 27 entry, which reiterates the mid-January deadline and the April offer timing for the normal reception round.

Open events are offered, but published dates may already have passed by the time you read this. The school’s admissions page shows open afternoons scheduled in early October for Reception intake, with booking required, which is a useful guide to typical timing even when exact dates change year to year.

Pastoral systems look purposeful rather than performative. The latest inspection describes strong relationships between pupils and staff, good behaviour, and clear expectations.

Safeguarding is clearly stated as effective in the same inspection. For families, the practical takeaway is that this is a school where processes, training, and follow-up have been scrutinised and judged sound.

Inclusion is a defining feature. The school operates a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, described as catering for ten pupils across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 with complex needs. That matters because it signals both specialist expertise and a mainstream setting accustomed to adaptive practice, although families should still check whether the specific profile of need aligns with what is currently supported.

Enrichment is most convincing when it is specific. Here, the inspection references clubs including photography and golf. These are not generic “after school club” placeholders; they suggest the school either has staff interest or external provision that broadens what pupils can try.

Reading culture also has concrete hooks. The inspection describes a reading bus used at break and lunchtimes, and regular staff read-aloud routines. When reading is visible in the school day rather than only in lessons, pupils who might not choose books at home often begin to see reading as part of normal life.

Early years provision is well defined. The nursery information describes two rooms, Cygnets and Swans, with Cygnets taking children from the September after they turn two, and Swans as the pre-school year preparing for Reception. It also describes a dedicated outdoor environment with a canopy for all-weather play, artificial grass, and sandpits. That kind of physical set-up usually supports calmer sessions, more continuous provision, and better regulation for younger children.

School hours are clearly communicated in school materials. A published newsletter states that doors open from 08:40, registration is at 08:50, and the school day ends at 15:20 for pupils in the main school. It also states that nursery doors open at 09:00 with pick up at 15:00.

Wraparound care is a strength for working families. The school’s Dawn2Dusk provision lists breakfast club from 08:00 and after-school club from 15:15 to 18:00. (Session prices are published, but the key parent decision is usually availability, booking reliability, and how smoothly children move from class to club.)

For travel, Knutsford has a town-centre railway station, and driving and parking pressures at drop-off are explicitly addressed in school communications. The school has issued reminders about considerate parking and safe use of car parks, which is often a proxy for busy peak-time traffic outside the gates.

• Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed for primary entry in the provided dataset (124 applications for 60 offers). If you are relying on a single choice, you should plan alternatives too.

• High attainment can feel pressurised for some children. When a large proportion of pupils are working beyond the expected standard, teaching pace and expectations can feel fast. This often suits confident learners, but children who need more time may need careful support and reassurance.

• Curriculum consistency still needs refining in places. The latest inspection highlights that learning is not always designed consistently enough to help pupils learn all they could, and that assessment checks in a small number of subjects do not always identify gaps accurately.

• Drop-off logistics. Parking and car park use are recurring themes in school reminders, so families who drive should expect busy peak times and follow published guidance closely.

Bexton Primary School sits in the upper tier for primary outcomes in England, and pairs that attainment with clear routines, strong reading practice, and a credible inclusion offer that includes a resourced provision alongside mainstream classes. The limiting factor is admissions competition.

Who it suits

families in and around Knutsford who want very strong academic outcomes, structured routines, and an all-through early years to Year 6 pathway, including nursery from age two, with wraparound care that supports working patterns.