Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with standout KS2 scores

A small Church of England primary serving Antrobus, with an age range that starts from nursery and runs through to Year 6. The tone is community-first and child-centred, but the headline data point is academic: in the most recent published KS2 results (2024), 83.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%.

Leadership is currently organised as a federation with Great Budworth, with Miss Rhian Perry as Executive Head Teacher across the federation. Her pathway is unusually rooted in the school itself, starting as a teacher in 2012, moving into acting headship in January 2023, and then becoming Executive Head Teacher in April 2024.

Ofsted’s latest inspection evidence describes a close-knit feel, strong expectations and generally positive pupil attitudes to school, alongside a clear set of next steps around curriculum detail, staff phonics training consistency, and pupils’ understanding of diversity.

This is a small-school setting where routines and relationships do much of the heavy lifting. External evidence describes pupils feeling safe and supported, and enjoying school, with behaviour typically calm and purposeful. The same evidence highlights children enjoying outdoor learning experiences, including spotting animals in the school’s woodlands.

The Christian identity is explicit and integrated into the school’s language and wider life. Families considering the school should expect a Church of England ethos that shows up in worship and the broader values framework, rather than being a light-touch label. The school also uses structured pupil responsibilities and roles, including council-type roles and road safety officers, which links values to day-to-day practice.

Leadership continuity matters more in small primaries because staffing changes are felt quickly by pupils and parents. Miss Rhian Perry’s route into headship, from teacher to acting head and then Executive Head across the federation, suggests a leadership approach shaped by deep familiarity with the local community and what makes small schools work well.

The performance picture in 2024 is strongly above England benchmarks for a key primary measure.

KS2 combined expected standard (reading, writing and maths)

83.33% met the expected standard in 2024, compared with the England average of 62%.

Higher standard (greater depth across reading, writing and maths)

33.33% achieved the higher standard, compared with the England average of 8%.

Science outcomes show 100% reaching the expected standard, compared with an England average of 82%.

Scaled scores and subject breakdowns also read well: reading 108, maths 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling 105.

On the FindMySchool ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2710th in England for primary outcomes and 3rd in the Northwich local area. This level of performance places it comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and the Comparison Tool to assess how these results sit alongside nearby primaries.

External inspection evidence points to an ambitious and well-organised curriculum in most subjects, with careful sequencing that helps pupils build knowledge over time. Mathematics is singled out as an example of deliberate progression, with number understanding secured before more complex calculations.

The improvement work is specific rather than vague. Inspection evidence identifies a small number of subjects where leaders had not yet set out the essential knowledge pupils should learn from early years through to Year 6, making progression harder in those areas. The direction of travel is clear, and the work is definable: tighten curriculum detail in the remaining subjects and ensure staff training aligns with the intended curriculum.

Early reading is treated as central, with systematic phonics starting in Reception and books matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge. The flagged issue is not the model itself, but the consistency of delivery, with a small number of staff lacking confidence due to training disruption.

As a village primary, transition is less about a single guaranteed destination and more about being well-prepared for a range of Year 7 routes. The school’s wider links give useful clues about local pathways and partnerships. For example, school activities and competitions are frequently connected with County High School Leftwich, including sports events and partnership competitions.

In practical terms, families should plan early for secondary choices. For Cheshire West and Chester, the on-time application window for secondary transfer into September 2026 runs from 01 September 2025 to 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026.

There are two distinct entry routes to understand: nursery entry and Reception entry.

Nursery operates within a foundation unit that includes both Nursery and Reception children. The published policy describes a single class with a qualified teacher and teaching assistant, with capacity constraints that can make places competitive (up to 28 children in a session across Nursery and Reception, with up to 13 nursery-aged children).

The same policy sets out typical nursery application timing by term and makes an important point for parents: nursery attendance does not automatically convert into a Reception place. Reception admissions still require a separate application through the local authority route.

Reception entry is coordinated by Cheshire West and Chester. The published key dates for September 2026 Reception entry show applications opening 01 September 2025, closing 15 January 2026, and offers released 16 April 2026.

Because this is a voluntary aided Church of England school, families seeking to be considered under faith-based oversubscription criteria should expect to complete a supplementary information form alongside the local authority application.

Demand, even with small cohorts, is real. In the most recent admissions dataset provided here for the primary entry route, there were 23 applications for 8 offers, a ratio of 2.88 applications per place, indicating oversubscription.

Parents weighing the practical odds should treat small-school data carefully. A handful of applications can swing ratios sharply year to year, so the right approach is to combine the published deadlines with a realistic view of distance, faith criteria (if applicable), and sibling rules, then stress-test your shortlist using FindMySchoolMap Search.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the latest Ofsted inspection evidence, with staff trained, systems strengthened, and pupils clear on how to seek help if something feels wrong, including online.

Pastoral strength in small settings often shows up as early identification and fast intervention, rather than a large team of specialists. Inspection evidence supports this, describing early identification of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and an expectation that pupils with SEND access the same broad curriculum as their peers.

One of the clearer development points is around pupils’ understanding of diversity, including families and cultures different from their own. The practical implication for parents is that the school has been asked to make this learning more explicit through the curriculum, rather than leaving it to incidental opportunities.

Extracurricular life is designed at federation level, with after-school clubs open to pupils across both schools, and families transporting children to whichever site hosts a particular club in a given half term.

Within Antrobus itself, there are several distinctive pillars that go beyond generic “clubs” language:

• Forest Church, an outdoor spirituality approach rooted in Christian tradition and engagement with nature.

• Road Safety Officers, referenced in inspection evidence as part of wider safety education.

• JoJingles for Nursery and Reception, a weekly music session offered on Thursday mornings.

Wraparound provision also has a practical enrichment angle. The published after-school club overview for Antrobus includes structured activities across the week (for example construction and model challenges, art and craft, physical activity and games, and play-based options), plus an organised snack timetable.

The school day is clearly signposted. The gate opens at 8.45am, with an expectation that pupils are in classrooms by 9.00am; the day ends at 3.15pm.

Wraparound care is published with specific session times and charges. Breakfast care runs 7.45am to 8.45am, and after-school care offers multiple end-time options up to 6.00pm, with published prices per session.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for usual primary extras such as uniform, trips, and any chargeable wraparound sessions.

For visits, the school communicates an “every day is an open day” approach, with tours arranged via the school office.

• Competition for places can look intense in small schools. With 23 applications for 8 offers in the latest primary entry data provided here, demand outstrips supply. A few applications can shift ratios sharply, so treat any single year as indicative, not definitive.

• Curriculum refinement is an explicit development priority. Ofsted’s latest evidence highlights that in a small number of subjects the essential knowledge was not yet fully identified from early years through to Year 6.

• Phonics training consistency matters. The same evidence flags that not all staff had the training needed to deliver the phonics programme with full confidence, even though the wider approach and book matching were positive.

• Diversity education has been identified as an area to strengthen. Pupils’ understanding of different cultures and family structures was described as limited, with a clear expectation that curriculum opportunities should address this more directly.

Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary School combines a close community feel with 2024 outcomes that are well above England averages on the most parent-relevant KS2 measure. It suits families who value a small village setting, a clearly lived Church of England ethos, and a school that expects pupils to take responsibility as they grow. Admission is the main constraint, and families should plan around published deadlines and the school’s voluntary aided requirements, rather than assuming nursery attendance leads automatically into Reception.