Best Schools in Chester

How many schools are there in Chester?

Chester has 63 open schools: 42 state primary, 8 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent, 6 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Chester are rated Outstanding?

7 schools in Chester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Boughton Heath Academy, Acresfield Academy, Mill View Primary School, Ancora House School, Guilden Sutton CofE Primary School and 2 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 42 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 SchoolAncora House SchoolGuilden Sutton CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Chester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Chester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Upton-by-Chester High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.7 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Christleton High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.4 and 55% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Upton-by-Chester High SchoolThe Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High SchoolChristleton High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Chester have the best SATs results?

Of the 33 primary schools in Chester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Martin's Academy Chester (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Mickle Trafford Village School (97% in reading, 93% in maths); and Guilden Sutton CofE Primary School (94% in reading, 94% 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.

St Martin's Academy ChesterMickle Trafford Village SchoolGuilden Sutton CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Chester?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Chester have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Chester have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Chester?

Apply to your council - Cheshire West and Chester or Flintshire, depending on your address - 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.