Upton-by-Chester High School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 284 families put Upton-by-Chester High School as their first choice and 592 named it as one of their preferences, for 292 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
Demand has been fairly steady: 257 first choices in 2021, against 284 in 2026.
Across Cheshire West and Chester, 95% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Cheshire West and Chester lodged 90 appeals against secondary school offers; 70 reached a hearing and 22 succeeded (31.4% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 292 | 284 | 592 | 1.0 | 11 |
| 2025 | 281 | 281 | 641 | 1.0 | 11 |
| 2024 | 299 | 292 | 643 | 1.0 | 8 |
| 2023 | 300 | 296 | 621 | 1.0 | 19 |
| 2022 | 305 | 276 | 593 | 0.9 | 4 |
| 2021 | 303 | 257 | 585 | 0.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | 261 | 230 | 583 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 277 | 259 | 590 | 0.9 | 6 |
| 2018 | 279 | 266 | 582 | 1.0 | 18 |
| 2017 | 276 | 265 | 532 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 2016 | 272 | 242 | 571 | 0.9 | 9 |
| 2015 | 260 | 220 | 493 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2014 | 228 | 214 | 482 | 0.9 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.