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Schools across Cheshire West and Chester

Local authority · 184 schools across 16 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 West and Chester (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 West and Chester (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Cheshire West and Chester →

Schools in Cheshire West and Chester (184)

Showing 20 of 184 schools

Total Schools

184

129 primary · 20 secondary

Total Pupils

53,999

88% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

54

11 outstanding · 43 good

Capacity

61,168

7,169 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

43
129
Outstanding: 11
Good: 43
Requires Improvement: 1
Not inspected: 129

Best Schools in Cheshire West and Chester

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

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

38.0

GCSE Eng+Maths

33.2%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

86% full
27,046 pupils31,302 capacity

4,256 spare places

Secondary Schools

90% full
21,416 pupils23,928 capacity

2,512 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.2%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.6%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

146

2024/25

Absence trend across Cheshire West and Chester schools

4.9%
18/19
4.8%
20/21
7.3%
21/22
6.6%
22/23
6.6%
23/24
6.2%
24/25

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

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

22%

Plans Issued

670

Assessment Requests

1,029

Tribunal Cases

12

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

88%
2019
45%
2020
28%
2021
32%
2022
7%
2023
15%
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

3,943 admissions

38

Lodged

(1.0%)

26

Heard

2

Successful

(8%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,626 admissions

37

Lodged

(1.0%)

25

Heard

1

Successful

(4%)

Secondary

4,142 admissions

63

Lodged

(1.5%)

45

Heard

9

Successful

(20%)

Total

8,085 admissions

101

Lodged

(1.2%)

71

Heard

11

Successful

(16%)

Total appeals lodged per year

660
2019
619
2020
440
2021
553
2022
429
2023
444
2024
277
2025
239
2026

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

Towns in Cheshire West and Chester

Chester

61 schools

Northwich

43 schools

Ellesmere Port

27 schools

Winsford

14 schools

Frodsham

12 schools

Neston

7 schools

Tarporley

6 schools

Malpas

4 schools

Middlewich

2 schools

Knutsford

2 schools

Runcorn

1 schools

Sutton Weaver

1 schools

Select

1 schools

Warrington

1 schools

Whitchurch

1 schools

ELLESMERE PORT

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Cheshire West and Chester

How many schools are there in Cheshire West and Chester?

Cheshire West and Chester has 184 open schools: 129 state primary, 20 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 22 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cheshire West and Chester are rated Outstanding?

22 schools in Cheshire West and Chester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Boughton Heath Academy, Acresfield Academy, Mill View Primary School, Childer Thornton Primary School, Willaston CofE Primary School and 17 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 132 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 SchoolChilder Thornton Primary SchoolWillaston CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 24 schools in Cheshire West and Chester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.5 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Upton-by-Chester High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Bishop Heber High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Tarporley High School and Sixth Form CollegeUpton-by-Chester High SchoolBishop Heber High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester have the best SATs results?

3 of the 113 primary schools in Cheshire West and Chester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths: Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary School, Delamere CofE Primary Academy and St Martin's Academy Chester. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolDelamere CofE Primary AcademySt Martin's Academy Chester

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cheshire West and Chester?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Cheshire West and Chester have catchment areas?

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

Apply to Cheshire West and Chester 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