Best Schools in Cheshire West and Chester

How many schools are there in Cheshire West and Chester?

Cheshire West and Chester has 184 open schools: 129 state primary, 20 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 22 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cheshire West and Chester are rated Outstanding?

22 schools in Cheshire West and Chester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Boughton Heath Academy, Acresfield Academy, Mill View Primary School, Childer Thornton Primary School, Willaston CofE Primary School and 17 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 132 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.

Boughton Heath AcademyAcresfield AcademyMill View Primary SchoolChilder Thornton Primary SchoolWillaston CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 24 schools in Cheshire West and Chester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.5 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Upton-by-Chester High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Bishop Heber High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Tarporley High School and Sixth Form CollegeUpton-by-Chester High SchoolBishop Heber High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester have the best SATs results?

3 of the 113 primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths: Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary School, Delamere CofE Primary Academy and St Martin's Academy Chester. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolDelamere CofE Primary AcademySt Martin's Academy Chester

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cheshire West and Chester?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Cheshire West and Chester have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Cheshire West and Chester have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester 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 West and Chester?

Apply to Cheshire West and Chester 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.