Schools in Cheshire

How many schools are there in Cheshire?

Cheshire has 5 open schools: 1 state primary, 3 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Cheshire?

None of the 4 graded schools in Cheshire currently holds an Outstanding rating. 4 are rated Good, so 100% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Do schools in Cheshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Cheshire have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Cheshire?

Apply to your council - Cheshire East, Tameside or Trafford, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.