The Ryleys School, Alderley Edge
The Ryleys School is an independent school for pupils aged 1 to 11 in Alderley Edge. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in May 2025.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Ryleys School in detail
The Ryleys School in its own words
In its own words: "Welcome to The Ryleys School , a co-educational preparatory school for children from 12 months to 11 years, set in the heart of Cheshire. At The Ryleys School, we provide a perfectly balanced education for children of the 21st century by combining high academic standards along with an outstanding personal development and extra-curricular programme ."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Your child is at the centre of all that we do. Our entire focus is on ensuring their success and happiness as they rapidly develop through their early years. The play and learning environment is designed to encourage children to carefully construct their own learning through independence and a choice of play experiences and activities."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Ryleys School are Alderley Edge School for Girls (0.3 miles), Wilmslow Preparatory School (1.8 miles), Pownall Hall School (2.2 miles) and The King's School In Macclesfield (3.6 miles).
Alderley Edge School for GirlsWilmslow Preparatory SchoolPownall Hall SchoolThe King's School In Macclesfield
Who goes there
In 2026, 18 pupils (7.4%) received SEN support and 4 (1.6%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Alderley Edge Rail Station, about 490 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alderley Edge Primary (outside), 380 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Ryleys 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 29 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cheshire East (61).
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.
Non-Routine Inspection
21 May 2025
Routine Inspection
5 November 2024
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
4 February 2020
Regulatory Compliance
26 April 2017
Standard
1 January 2011
About
The Ryleys School in Alderley Edge, Cheshire is a preparatory school for boys and girls between the ages of 1 and 11.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£15,120 to £16,592
depending on year group
| Reception | £15,120 a year |
| Years 1 - 2: | £16,016 a year |
| Years 3 - 6: | £16,592 a year |
Including VAT at 20% (added by us to the school's ex-VAT figure). From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
Private school fees in Cheshire East - 3 schools' published fees side by side
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Ryleys School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 East is 6 (the median across 180 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
81%
Available places
243 pupils
300 places
57 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Alderley Edge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Alderley Edge
Across Cheshire East council
Places available
4,404
Applications
4,072
Got 1st preference
93.1%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Cheshire East council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
18
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
9.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
243
Total Pupils
131
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about The Ryleys School
When was The Ryleys School last inspected?
The Ryleys School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in May 2025.
How many pupils go to The Ryleys School?
The Ryleys School has around 243 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Ryleys School?
The Ryleys 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 Ryleys 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, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 East is 6 (the median across 180 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Ryleys School?
The Ryleys School is at Ryleys Lane, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, SK9 7UY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)