Best Schools in Runcorn

How many schools are there in Runcorn?

Runcorn has 38 open schools: 29 state primary, 5 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Runcorn are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Runcorn were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Pewithall School and The Cavendish High Academy. Counting Good as well, 81% of the 32 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.

Pewithall SchoolThe Cavendish High Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Runcorn get the best GCSE results?

Of the 5 schools in Runcorn with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Sandymoor Ormiston Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.2 and 37% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Heath School, with an Attainment 8 score of 41 and 33% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 37.5 and 23% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Sandymoor Ormiston AcademyThe Heath SchoolBlessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Runcorn have the best SATs results?

Of the 29 primary schools in Runcorn with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Pewithall School (90% in reading, 97% in maths); Windmill Hill Primary School (88% in reading, 94% in maths); and Palace Fields Primary Academy (85% in reading, 92% 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.

Pewithall SchoolWindmill Hill Primary SchoolPalace Fields Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Runcorn?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Runcorn have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Runcorn 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 Runcorn?

Apply to your council - Halton or Cheshire West and Chester, 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.