The Winsford Academy, Winsford
The Winsford Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Winsford, part of Halliard Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 19th-highest of the 20 schools in Cheshire West and Chester with published results, and 3,215th of 3,298 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Winsford Academy in detail
The Winsford Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Thank you for your interest in our school. It is my privilege to lead the Academy as we seek to build a community where our students learn together, grow together, and succeed together."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Winsford Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 32, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.3 in Cheshire West and Chester and 47 across England.
19% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cheshire West and Chester and 47% in England.
That is up from 30.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.1: pupils made well 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 24.3, against 36.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at The Winsford Academy
For September 2026 entry, 106 families put The Winsford Academy as their first choice and 145 named it as one of their preferences, for 130 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 The Winsford Academy are The County High School, Leftwich (3.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 50.1); St Nicholas Catholic High School (3.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7); Middlewich High School (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.3); and Hartford Church of England High School (3.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than The Winsford Academy.
The County High School, LeftwichSt Nicholas Catholic High SchoolMiddlewich High SchoolHartford Church of England High School
The trust
The Winsford Academy is one of 12 schools run by Halliard Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
169 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Winsford Academy (as of September 2025): 56% would recommend the school, 64% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (67%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 194 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 73% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
43% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 166 pupils (17.6%) received SEN support and 58 (6.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Winsford Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Winsford Academy (outside), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Winsford Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 163 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Winsford Academy issued 1219 suspensions, 119.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Winsford Academy are Grange Community Nursery and Primary School (0.2 miles); Winsford High Street Community Primary School (0.3 miles); Over St John's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Grange Community Nursery and Primary SchoolWinsford High Street Community Primary SchoolOver St John's CofE Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has made positive changes to its leadership and governance, creating a calmer school environment with fewer truancy incidents. Pupils have access to a wider range of subjects at GCSE and opportunities to develop their interests through clubs and activities. The school is committed to supporting pupils' personal development and well-being through its curriculum.
Key Strengths
- New interim executive board has enhanced governance and provided stronger support to the school
- School has redesigned its curriculum with subjects ordered to build knowledge over time
- Reading support has improved for younger pupils who find reading difficult
- Behaviour strategies have begun to yield some positive changes with calmer classrooms
- Personal development curriculum covers important themes like relationships, mental health and safety well
Areas for Improvement
- Staff do not deliver the intended curriculum well across most subjects, limiting pupils' knowledge building
- Teachers have low expectations and do not identify gaps in pupils' understanding quickly enough
- Behaviour management is inconsistent - off-task behaviour often goes unchallenged
- High absence rates, particularly among pupils with SEND, hinder progress
- Derogatory language and unkind behaviour between pupils is not addressed effectively enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Cheerleading club, sporting activities, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, careers encounters with organisations and colleges
The Winsford Academy is a secondary comprehensive school that has recently undergone significant leadership and staffing changes. Despite efforts to improve, the school is judged as Inadequate for quality of education and behaviour, with most pupils underachieving considerably due to weak curriculum delivery and inconsistent behaviour management.
About
The Winsford Academy is an 11–16 mixed secondary school with academy status in Winsford, Cheshire, England. It was established in September 2010 following the amalgamation of the two predecessor schools; Verdin High School and Woodford Lodge High School.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
43.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
169 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.85 to -1.10 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 33.2 to 32.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 19% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 32.0 | 18.9% |
| Disadvantaged(76) | - | 24.3 | 7.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(141) | - | 36.1 | 24.8% |
| Boys(120) | - | 26.9 | 10% |
| Girls(97) | - | 38.2 | 29.9% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(10) | - | 34.1 | 20% |
| Non mobile(206) | - | 32.5 | 19.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 194 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.39%
Exclusion rate
1219
Suspensions
119.16%
Suspension rate
234 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,023 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Winsford Academy
Term dates
The Winsford Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cheshire West and Chester's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Winsford Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Winsford Academy is in Cheshire West and Chester; for families living there:
Apply to Cheshire West and Chester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 on a bicycle.
6 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
Your chances of a place at The Winsford Academy
Will you get a place at The Winsford Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Winsford Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Winsford Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Winsford Academy.
- Cheshire West and Chester publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Winsford Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Winsford Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cheshire West and Chester 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
76%
Available places
1,002 pupils
1,312 places
310 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Winsford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Winsford
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
166
SEN Support
58
EHC Plans
23.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
945
Total Pupils
472
Boys
473
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
58
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,084
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,773
Per pupil
£8670k
Total funding
£492k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
16.7%
Overall absence
45.4%
Persistent absence
1,066
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 The Winsford Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Winsford Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Winsford Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 32. 19% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Winsford Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Winsford Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for The Winsford Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Winsford Academy is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Winsford Academy?
The Winsford Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 1312 places.
How big are the classes at The Winsford Academy?
Classes at The Winsford Academy average 23.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Winsford Academy?
The Winsford Academy has around 945 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Winsford Academy?
16.7% of sessions were missed at The Winsford Academy in 2024/25. 45.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Winsford Academy?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming The Winsford Academy 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 The Winsford Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 4 on a bicycle. 6 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 Winsford Academy?
The Winsford Academy is at Grange Lane, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 2BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)