Best Schools in Cheshire East

How many schools are there in Cheshire East?

Cheshire East has 180 open schools: 124 state primary, 25 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 20 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cheshire East are rated Outstanding?

21 schools in Cheshire East were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Wistaston Academy, St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School, Ash Grove Academy, Vernon Primary School, Rode Heath Primary School and 16 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 148 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Wistaston AcademySt Gabriel's Catholic Primary SchoolAsh Grove AcademyVernon Primary SchoolRode Heath Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cheshire East get the best GCSE results?

Of the 25 schools in Cheshire East with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Poynton High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.3 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Knutsford Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.9 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Poynton High SchoolSandbach High School and Sixth Form CollegeKnutsford Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cheshire East have the best SATs results?

Of the 114 primary schools in Cheshire East with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Nether Alderley Primary School (100% in reading, 92% in maths); Wincle CofE Primary School (100% in reading, 91% in maths); and Lacey Green Primary Academy (94% in reading, 95% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Nether Alderley Primary SchoolWincle CofE Primary SchoolLacey Green Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cheshire East?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Cheshire East selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Cheshire East have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Cheshire East have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Cheshire East allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Cheshire East?

Apply to Cheshire East through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.