The Firs School, Chester
The Firs School is an independent school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chester. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in May 2025.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Firs School in detail
The Firs School in its own words
In its own words: "The Firs School has been run by the same family for 3 generations and the family ha s a long - held passion to provide an exceptional education for children from 0-11 years."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Firs School are The Hammond (1.1 miles); The Queen's School (1.4 miles); The King's School (2.9 miles, selective); and Abbey Gate College (4.4 miles).
The HammondThe Queen's SchoolThe King's SchoolAbbey Gate College
Who goes there
In 2026, 14 pupils (9.7%) received SEN support and 5 (3.5%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bache Rail Station, about 760 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whitton Drive (cnr), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Firs School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 223 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
20 May 2025
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
17 May 2022
Regulatory Compliance
28 June 2017
Integrated
1 March 2016
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Keep up with The Firs School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
65%
Available places
144 pupils
220 places
76 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chester
Across Cheshire West and Chester council
Places available
4,194
Applications
3,482
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Cheshire West and Chester council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
13.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
144
Total Pupils
93
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about The Firs School
When was The Firs School last inspected?
The Firs School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in May 2025.
How many pupils go to The Firs School?
The Firs School has around 144 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Firs School?
The Firs School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Firs School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Firs School?
The Firs School is at 45 Newton Lane, Chester, Chester, CH2 2HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)