Best Schools in Widnes

How many schools are there in Widnes?

Widnes has 32 open schools: 20 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 5 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Widnes are rated Outstanding?

9 schools in Widnes were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Poppy Field School, Riverside College Halton, Cronton Church of England Primary Academy, St Bede's Catholic Infant School, Wade Deacon High School and 4 more. Counting Good as well, 97% of the 31 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.

Poppy Field SchoolRiverside College HaltonCronton Church of England Primary AcademySt Bede's Catholic Infant SchoolWade Deacon High School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Widnes get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Widnes with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Wade Deacon High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.2 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.9 and 35% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ormiston Chadwick Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 37 and 32% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Wade Deacon High SchoolSaints Peter and Paul Catholic High SchoolOrmiston Chadwick Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Widnes have the best SATs results?

Of the 19 primary schools in Widnes with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Moorfield Primary School (97% in reading, 94% in maths); Lunts Heath Primary School (90% in reading, 87% in maths); and St Michael with St Thomas CE Primary School (88% in reading, 88% 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.

Moorfield Primary SchoolLunts Heath Primary SchoolSt Michael with St Thomas CE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Widnes?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Widnes have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Widnes 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 Widnes?

Apply to your council - Halton or Knowsley, 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.