The hardest schools to get into in Cheshire East
Secondary: 159 families put St Thomas More Catholic High School first in 2026 and 122 of them (77%) were offered a place.
Reception: 51 families put Whirley Primary School first in 2026 and 31 of them (61%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Cheshire East with at least 20 first-choice applicants, hardest first. Of the families who put the school first on their application, the share who were offered a place there. Data: Department for Education.
Secondary schools (Year 7)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Thomas More Catholic High School · Crewe · faith | 159 | 122 (77%) | 124 |
| 2 | Shavington Academy · Shavington | 225 | 185 (82%) | 195 |
| 3 | Middlewich High School · Middlewich | 150 | 125 (83%) | 126 |
| 4 | The Fallibroome Academy · Macclesfield | 273 | 229 (84%) | 235 |
| 5 | Knutsford Academy · Knutsford | 244 | 208 (85%) | 226 |
| 6 | Wilmslow High School · Wilmslow | 371 | 331 (89%) | 352 |
| 7 | Sandbach School · Sandbach | 253 | 232 (92%) | 236 |
| 8 | Poynton High School · Stockport | 248 | 231 (93%) | 243 |
| 9 | Tytherington School · Macclesfield | 240 | 224 (93%) | 229 |
| 10 | Ruskin Community High School · Crewe | 126 | 119 (94%) | 136 |
| 11 | Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College · Sandbach | 250 | 241 (96%) | 249 |
| 12 | Malbank School and Sixth Form College · Nantwich | 218 | 212 (97%) | 232 |
| 13 | Brine Leas School · Nantwich | 204 | 199 (98%) | 212 |
| 14 | The Oaks Academy · Crewe | 113 | 112 (99%) | 126 |
| 15 | Congleton High School · Congleton | 147 | 146 (99%) | 149 |
| 16 | Eaton Bank Academy · Congleton | 186 | 185 (100%) | 187 |
| 17 | Alsager School · Stoke-on-Trent | 245 | 245 (100%) | 252 |
| 18 | Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School · Crewe | 173 | 173 (100%) | 187 |
| 19 | All Hallows Catholic College · Macclesfield · faith | 140 | 140 (100%) | 192 |
| 20 | Sir William Stanier School · Crewe | 95 | 95 (100%) | 124 |
| 21 | The Macclesfield Academy · Macclesfield | 73 | 73 (100%) | 92 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whirley Primary School · Macclesfield | 51 | 31 (61%) | 31 |
| 2 | Ashdene Primary School · Wilmslow | 83 | 54 (65%) | 60 |
| 3 | Elworth CofE Primary School · Sandbach · faith | 80 | 57 (71%) | 60 |
| 4 | Gorsey Bank Primary School · Wilmslow | 78 | 56 (72%) | 60 |
| 5 | Havannah Primary School · Congleton | 40 | 29 (73%) | 29 |
| 6 | Elworth Hall Primary School · Sandbach | 24 | 18 (75%) | 30 |
| 7 | Weston Village Primary School · Crewe | 39 | 30 (77%) | 30 |
| 8 | Hermitage Primary School · Crewe | 37 | 29 (78%) | 29 |
| 9 | Bexton Primary School · Knutsford | 75 | 59 (79%) | 59 |
| 10 | Goostrey Community Primary School · Near Crewe | 38 | 30 (79%) | 30 |
| 11 | Prestbury CofE Primary School · Macclesfield · faith | 49 | 39 (80%) | 46 |
| 12 | Offley Primary Academy · Sandbach | 75 | 60 (80%) | 60 |
| 13 | Wrenbury Primary School · Nantwich | 25 | 20 (80%) | 20 |
| 14 | Shavington Primary School · Crewe | 66 | 54 (82%) | 57 |
| 15 | St John the Evangelist CofE Primary School Macclesfield · Macclesfield · faith | 36 | 30 (83%) | 30 |
| 16 | Pikemere School · Alsager | 36 | 30 (83%) | 30 |
| 17 | Alderley Edge Community Primary School · Alderley Edge | 33 | 28 (85%) | 28 |
| 18 | Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School · Macclesfield · faith | 28 | 24 (86%) | 30 |
| 19 | Wistaston Academy · Crewe | 67 | 58 (87%) | 59 |
| 20 | Gawsworth Primary School · Macclesfield | 30 | 26 (87%) | 30 |
| 21 | The Quinta Primary School · Congleton | 68 | 59 (87%) | 60 |
| 22 | Lacey Green Primary Academy · Wilmslow | 64 | 56 (88%) | 60 |
| 23 | Rode Heath Primary School · Stoke-on-Trent | 34 | 30 (88%) | 30 |
| 24 | St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School · Stoke-on-Trent · faith | 34 | 30 (88%) | 30 |
| 25 | St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Crewe · Crewe · faith | 66 | 59 (89%) | 59 |
| 26 | Scholar Green Primary School · Stoke-on-Trent | 32 | 29 (91%) | 29 |
| 27 | Handforth Grange Primary School · Wilmslow | 46 | 42 (91%) | 44 |
| 28 | Lower Park School · Stockport | 25 | 23 (92%) | 28 |
| 29 | The Dingle Primary School · Crewe | 62 | 58 (94%) | 60 |
| 30 | Hollinhey Primary School · Macclesfield | 31 | 29 (94%) | 30 |
| 31 | St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy · Middlewich · faith | 22 | 21 (96%) | 21 |
| 32 | Leighton Academy · Crewe | 51 | 49 (96%) | 57 |
| 33 | Buglawton Primary School · Congleton | 26 | 25 (96%) | 30 |
| 34 | Bunbury Aldersey CofE Primary School · Tarporley · faith | 28 | 27 (96%) | 30 |
| 35 | Lostock Hall Primary School · Stockport | 28 | 27 (96%) | 29 |
| 36 | Marlborough Primary School · Macclesfield | 58 | 56 (97%) | 60 |
| 37 | Millfields Primary Academy · Nantwich | 31 | 30 (97%) | 30 |
| 38 | Black Firs Primary School · Congleton | 43 | 42 (98%) | 44 |
| 39 | Vernon Primary School · Poynton | 60 | 59 (98%) | 60 |
| 40 | Monks Coppenhall Academy · Crewe | 76 | 76 (100%) | 80 |
| 41 | Mablins Lane Community Primary School · Crewe | 62 | 62 (100%) | 64 |
| 42 | Middlewich Primary School · Middlewich | 58 | 58 (100%) | 59 |
| 43 | Beechwood Primary School and Nursery · Crewe | 56 | 56 (100%) | 59 |
| 44 | Mossley CofE Primary School · Congleton · faith | 55 | 55 (100%) | 59 |
| 45 | The Berkeley Academy · Crewe | 55 | 55 (100%) | 59 |
| 46 | Wistaston Church Lane Academy · Crewe | 52 | 52 (100%) | 54 |
| 47 | Parkroyal Community School · Macclesfield | 52 | 52 (100%) | 57 |
| 48 | Cranberry Academy · Alsager | 47 | 47 (100%) | 52 |
| 49 | Puss Bank School and Nursery · Macclesfield | 46 | 46 (100%) | 46 |
| 50 | Pebble Brook Primary School · Crewe | 42 | 42 (100%) | 43 |
| 51 | Holmes Chapel Primary School · Crewe | 38 | 38 (100%) | 47 |
| 52 | Wheelock Primary School · Sandbach | 38 | 38 (100%) | 55 |
| 53 | Gainsborough Primary & Nursery Academy · Crewe | 37 | 37 (100%) | 37 |
| 54 | Ivy Bank Primary School · Macclesfield | 37 | 37 (100%) | 43 |
| 55 | Underwood West Academy · Crewe | 33 | 33 (100%) | 34 |
| 56 | Hungerford Primary Academy · Crewe | 32 | 32 (100%) | 32 |
| 57 | Cledford Primary & Nursery Academy · Middlewich | 31 | 31 (100%) | 32 |
| 58 | The Wilmslow Academy · Wilmslow | 30 | 30 (100%) | 45 |
| 59 | Upton Priory School · Macclesfield | 29 | 29 (100%) | 30 |
| 60 | St Michael's Community Academy · Crewe | 29 | 29 (100%) | 29 |
| 61 | Brereton CofE Primary School · Sandbach · faith | 28 | 28 (100%) | 30 |
| 62 | Haslington Primary Academy · Crewe | 28 | 28 (100%) | 29 |
| 63 | Willaston Primary Academy · Nantwich | 27 | 27 (100%) | 27 |
| 64 | Ash Grove Academy · Macclesfield | 27 | 27 (100%) | 27 |
| 65 | Mobberley CofE Primary School · Knutsford · faith | 27 | 27 (100%) | 30 |
| 66 | St Anne's Catholic Primary School · Nantwich · faith | 26 | 26 (100%) | 26 |
| 67 | Dean Valley Community Primary School · Macclesfield | 26 | 26 (100%) | 26 |
| 68 | Nantwich Primary Academy · Nantwich | 24 | 24 (100%) | 24 |
| 69 | Excalibur Primary School · Stoke-on-Trent | 24 | 24 (100%) | 27 |
| 70 | Weaver Primary School · Nantwich | 24 | 24 (100%) | 24 |
| 71 | Disley Primary School · Stockport | 23 | 23 (100%) | 23 |
| 72 | Alsager Highfields Community Primary School · Stoke-on-Trent | 23 | 23 (100%) | 25 |
| 73 | St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy · Macclesfield · faith | 23 | 23 (100%) | 24 |
| 74 | Wybunbury Delves CofE Primary School · Nantwich · faith | 22 | 22 (100%) | 27 |
| 75 | Highfields Academy · Nantwich | 22 | 22 (100%) | 22 |
| 76 | Acton Church of England Primary Academy · Nantwich · faith | 22 | 22 (100%) | 25 |
| 77 | Pear Tree Primary School · NANTWICH | 21 | 21 (100%) | 23 |
| 78 | Edleston Primary School · Crewe | 21 | 21 (100%) | 23 |
| 79 | Mottram St Andrew Primary Academy · Macclesfield | 21 | 21 (100%) | 26 |
| 80 | Brierley Primary School · Crewe | 20 | 20 (100%) | 21 |
| 81 | St Vincent De Paul Catholic Primary School · Knutsford · faith | 20 | 20 (100%) | 21 |
| 82 | Egerton Primary School · Knutsford | 20 | 20 (100%) | 30 |
Getting into a school in Cheshire East
What is the hardest school to get into in Cheshire East?
For secondary places, 159 families put St Thomas More Catholic High School first in 2026 and 122 of them (77%) were offered a place. For Reception, 51 families put Whirley Primary School first and 31 of them (61%) were offered a place.
How many families in Cheshire East get their first-choice school?
93.1% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 92.3% of those applying for Reception did (offers for September 2026).
Does putting a school first improve our chances?
Not at the other schools you name. Councils in England use an equal-preference system: every school you list is considered against its own admissions criteria, and if more than one could offer a place you get the one you ranked highest. So list schools in your genuine order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get.
What does "last distance offered" mean?
For schools that give places by distance, it is how far from the school the last child offered a place under that criterion lived. It changes every year with the number and location of applicants, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. We show it where Cheshire East published it in its admissions booklet.