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Schools across Cheshire East

Local authority · 180 schools across 22 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Cheshire East (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cheshire East (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Cheshire East →

Schools in Cheshire East (180)

Showing 20 of 180 schools

Total Schools

180

124 primary · 25 secondary

Total Pupils

59,684

94% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

50

8 outstanding · 42 good

Capacity

63,422

3,738 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

42
128
Outstanding: 8
Good: 42
Requires Improvement: 2
Not inspected: 128

Best Schools in Cheshire East

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

39.7

GCSE Eng+Maths

34.5%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

94% full
30,813 pupils32,933 capacity

2,120 spare places

Secondary Schools

96% full
25,196 pupils26,176 capacity

980 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

5.8%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

13.3%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

145

2024/25

Absence trend across Cheshire East schools

4.2%
18/19
3.9%
20/21
7%
21/22
6.3%
22/23
6.2%
23/24
5.8%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

22%

Plans Issued

797

Assessment Requests

1,065

Tribunal Cases

9

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

49%
2019
37%
2020
65%
2021
39%
2022
66%
2023
47%
2024
22%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

4,468 admissions

44

Lodged

(1.0%)

26

Heard

2

Successful

(8%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,154 admissions

37

Lodged

(0.9%)

20

Heard

1

Successful

(5%)

Secondary

4,874 admissions

61

Lodged

(1.3%)

27

Heard

8

Successful

(30%)

Total

9,342 admissions

105

Lodged

(1.1%)

53

Heard

10

Successful

(19%)

Total appeals lodged per year

268
2019
427
2020
483
2021
441
2022
416
2023
417
2024
289
2025
247
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Cheshire East

Crewe

40 schools

Macclesfield

37 schools

Nantwich

17 schools

Congleton

14 schools

Sandbach

13 schools

Wilmslow

13 schools

Knutsford

9 schools

Stoke-on-Trent

8 schools

Middlewich

5 schools

Stockport

5 schools

Alderley Edge

4 schools

Alsager

3 schools

Poynton

2 schools

Cheshire

2 schools

Altrincham

1 schools

Malpas

1 schools

Tarporley

1 schools

Shavington

1 schools

Kettleshulme. High Peak

1 schools

Calveley

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Cheshire East

How many schools are there in Cheshire East?

Cheshire East has 180 open schools: 124 state primary, 25 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 20 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cheshire East are rated Outstanding?

21 schools in Cheshire East were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Wistaston Academy, St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School, Ash Grove Academy, Vernon Primary School, Rode Heath Primary School and 16 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 148 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.

Wistaston AcademySt Gabriel's Catholic Primary SchoolAsh Grove AcademyVernon Primary SchoolRode Heath Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cheshire East get the best GCSE results?

Of the 25 schools in Cheshire East with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Poynton High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.3 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Knutsford Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.9 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Poynton High SchoolSandbach High School and Sixth Form CollegeKnutsford Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cheshire East have the best SATs results?

Of the 114 primary schools in Cheshire East with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Nether Alderley Primary School (100% in reading, 92% in maths); Wincle CofE Primary School (100% in reading, 91% in maths); and Lacey Green Primary Academy (94% in reading, 95% 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.

Nether Alderley Primary SchoolWincle CofE Primary SchoolLacey Green Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cheshire East?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Cheshire East have catchment areas?

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

Apply to Cheshire East 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables