Cheshire Academies Trust

UID 5455·Companies House 08108086·Incorporated June 2012·Compare

Schools

Flags

8 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Jan 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£21.5m

2,944 pupils

Avg staff costs

70.9%

of income

Avg reserves

15.1%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

26.9%

free school meals

Capacity

75%

2,944 / 3,930 places

Total admin cost

£889k

£302 per pupil

Trust overview

All 11 schools with reported data have staff costs below the DfE's 78% review point.

All 11 schools with reported data hold reserves at or above the DfE's 5% reference point.

Trust-average reserves have risen about 2 percentage points over two years of published returns.

Every school with reported data balanced its in-year budget in the latest return.

Absence is at or below the national average in 8 of 11 schools.

All 11 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above — Good or better under the legacy framework, or Expected standard or above under the Report Card.

2 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

At a glance

3 schools in deficit3 schools with absence above 8%2 schools with declining results8 schools with workforce pressure2 schools with staff costs above 78%1 school with Ofsted concerns

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

100%meeting standard or above

Across 11 graded schools, including 2 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

86% Good+

Outst. 3Good 3RI 1

Behaviour & attitudes

100% Good+

Outst. 4Good 3

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 4Good 3

Leadership & management

91% Good+

Outst. 4Good 6RI 1

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

62.5%

+1.5pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressKelsall Primary School, Kelsall, CW6 0PU

Companies House08108086

Incorporated18 June 2012

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 2 schoolsinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Strong standard 1Expected standard 1

Achievement

Strong standard 1Expected standard 1

Inclusion

Strong standard 1Expected standard 1

Growth

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	6	1,633	£9.2m	£8.4m	68.3%	16.7%
2022/23	8	2,111	£12.6m	£12.2m	71.1%	9.8%
2023/24	10	2,837	£16.6m	£16.2m	73.7%	7.5%
2024/25partial	11	2,944	£21.5m	£19.7m	70.9%	15.1%
2025/26	11	2,861	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

4.4%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£906,000

CS staff costs

£707,000

CS income

£17,000

Admin & clerical£237,000

Teaching staff£416,000

ICT£50,000

Premises£0

Legal & professional£73,000

Auditor costs£21,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

11 current directors · Average tenure: 3.2 years · 5 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (11)

Hannah Christine Thompson

director·< 1 year

Frances Elizabeth Hunter

director·< 1 year

Hailey Kelso

director·< 1 year

Linda Holdridge

director·< 1 year

Lindsay Cowan

director·2 years

Christopher Laurence Jelfs

director·3 years

Lynne Marie Fletcher

director·3 years

Jide Tope Olanipekun

director·3 years

Emlyn John Wright

director·5 years

Robert Edward Hughes

director·7 years

Janet Claire Sandford

director·7 years

33 former officers — most recent departure: May 2026

Alice Elizabeth Greaves

director·3 years·Resigned Jul 2024

Geoff Mason

director·5 years·Resigned Aug 2022

William Michael Giffin

director·5 years·Resigned May 2024

Sarah Louise Price

director·5 years·Resigned Oct 2021

Peter Woodhouse

director·6 years·Resigned Jul 2023

Joanne Elizabeth Harvey

Member schools (13)

13 schools|9 with risk flags|4 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Bexton Primary School	147133	Primary	workforce pressure
Boughton Heath Academy	141614	Primary	workforce pressure
Brookhurst Primary School	152409	Primary	—
Gayton Primary School	149493	Primary	—
Hebden Green Community School	150904	Not applicable	high absencehigh staff costs
Kelsall Primary and Nursery School	138742	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
Manor Park Primary School and Nursery	148278	Primary	workforce pressure
Mill View Primary School	141621	Primary	workforce pressure
Over Hall Community School	140097	Primary	high staff costsin year deficitworkforce pressureperformance decline
Pinehurst Primary School	152406	Primary	—
Rock Ferry Primary School	150115	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressurein year deficit
Woodchurch Road Academy	150119	Primary	workforce pressureofsted concernhigh absencein year deficit
Woodfall Primary and Nursery School	150118	Primary	—