The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School, Chester

In its own words: "My vision for Bishops’ is to be a flourishing school community that inspired all to be the best version of themselves. At Bishops’ each child will be known as unique individuals, requiring personalised learning experiences that support their development as confident lifelong learners, responsible citizens, and compassionate individuals."

Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.3 in Cheshire West and Chester and 47 across England.

58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cheshire West and Chester and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 53.8.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.26: pupils made above 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 44.3, against 55.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 219 families put The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School as their first choice and 599 named it as one of their preferences, for 202 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 20 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School are Chester International School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.5); Queen's Park High School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.6); The Catholic High School, Chester (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.1); and Christleton High School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.4).

The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

306 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (87%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).

Of the 207 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 69 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 30% into work. 16% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

15.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Chester Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bishops Blue Coat School (outside), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 196 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School issued 145 suspensions, 12.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School are Boughton Heath Academy (0.2 miles), Cherry Grove Primary School (0.5 miles), St Werburgh's and St Columba's Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles) and The Grosvenor Park Church of England Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.