Culcheth High School, Warrington
Culcheth High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Warrington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 10th-highest of the 14 schools in Warrington with published results, and 1,815th of 3,298 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Warrington (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Culcheth High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Culcheth High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.7 in Warrington and 47 across England.
47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in Warrington and 47% in England.
That is down from 51.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.15: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.3, against 46.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Culcheth High School
For September 2026 entry, 190 families put Culcheth High School as their first choice and 374 named it as one of their preferences, for 198 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Culcheth High School are Lowton Church of England High School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2); Birchwood Community High School (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); Bedford High School (2.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.2); and St Mary's Catholic High School (3.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.1).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Culcheth High School.
Lowton Church of England High SchoolBirchwood Community High SchoolBedford High SchoolSt Mary's Catholic High School
Where pupils go next
Of the 235 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
2.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Glazebrook Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holcroft Lane (near), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 30 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Warrington (96).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Culcheth High School issued 104 suspensions, 8.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Culcheth High School are Culcheth Community Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Newchurch Community Primary School (0.6 miles), Twiss Green Community Primary School (0.6 miles) and Glazebury Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Culcheth Community Primary SchoolNewchurch Community Primary SchoolTwiss Green Community Primary SchoolGlazebury Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
Culcheth High School is a community school for students aged 11–16, located in Warrington, Cheshire. It serves many of the surrounding areas with a student base of over 1,000 students.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
19.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.15 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 49.1 to 45.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 47% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 45.1 | 46.8% |
| Disadvantaged(42) | - | 37.3 | 33.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(180) | - | 46.9 | 50% |
| Boys(110) | - | 43.6 | 44.5% |
| Girls(112) | - | 46.5 | 49.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(8) | - | 48.1 | 50% |
| Non mobile(219) | - | 45.4 | 47.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 235 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.17%
Exclusion rate
104
Suspensions
8.90%
Suspension rate
58 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,168 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Culcheth High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Culcheth High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Culcheth High School is in Warrington; for families living there:
Apply to Warrington for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Culcheth High School
Will you get a place at Culcheth High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Culcheth High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Culcheth High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Culcheth High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Warrington, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Culcheth High School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Warrington got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
1,167 pupils
1,358 places
191 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Warrington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Warrington
Across Warrington council
Places available
2,880
Applications
2,620
Got 1st preference
88.9%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Warrington council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
127
SEN Support
46
EHC Plans
14.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,164
Total Pupils
589
Boys
575
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
68
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,946
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,824
Per pupil
£8414k
Total funding
£225k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.0%
Overall absence
24.1%
Persistent absence
1,189
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Culcheth High School
What are GCSE results like at Culcheth High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Culcheth High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 45.1. 47% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Culcheth High School's Ofsted rating?
Culcheth High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Culcheth High School?
No fixed boundary. When Culcheth High School is oversubscribed, Warrington allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Culcheth High School?
Culcheth High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 1358 places.
How big are the classes at Culcheth High School?
Classes at Culcheth High School average 26 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Culcheth High School?
Culcheth High School has around 1164 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Culcheth High School?
9% of sessions were missed at Culcheth High School in 2024/25. 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Culcheth High School?
Apply through Warrington's coordinated admissions process, naming Culcheth High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Culcheth High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Warrington is 11 (the median across 96 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Culcheth High School?
Culcheth High School is at Warrington Road, Culcheth, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 5HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)