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Discover CW8Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire West and Chester covers all 1,116 CW8 postcodes. Figures are for the council area, not for CW8 alone
Wards in CW8

Map of schools in Cheshire West and Chester

The map needs JavaScript. The figures below do not.

Schools are coloured by their last Ofsted grade, or by results compared with England schools of the same type in the same year: reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school, and Attainment 8 at GCSE. Special, alternative provision, independent, nursery, 16 to 19 and all-through schools are not compared. Behind them, neighbourhoods are coloured by the education, skills and training measure of the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (England only). Sources: Department for Education, Ofsted, MHCLG. Open Government Licence v3.0. This map outlines Cheshire West and Chester and its wards. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Schools and results

How schools here are spread and how pupils are doing. There are no league tables on this page.

Schools in the area
181
Oct 2026 · aggregated
Pupils on roll
54,538
2025/26 · aggregated
Graded schools rated Good or Outstanding
89.7%
as at 31 Aug 2026 · aggregated
1.5 percentage points lower than England
North West 89.7%England 91.2%
KS2 reading, writing and maths at expected standard
61.3%
2024/25 · aggregated
1.5 percentage points lower than England
North West 61.1%England 62.8%
KS4 Attainment 8 score
44
2024/25 · aggregated
3% lower than England
North West 44.3England 45.3
Schools opened in the last two years
9
Oct 2024 to Sep 2026 · aggregated
How do we know these figures?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Schools in the area
Open schools (excluding children's centres) with a postcode in the area.
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
Oct 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Pupils on roll
Pupils on roll at schools in the area (January 2026 census where reported). Pupils may live elsewhere.
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2025/26Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Graded schools rated Good or Outstanding
Share of schools with a 1-4 Ofsted grade that are Outstanding or Good.
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
as at 31 Aug 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
KS2 reading, writing and maths at expected standard
Pupil-weighted share of year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths (2024/25).
Department for Education (compare school performance)
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
2024/25Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Pupil-weighted mean of school percentages (eligible pupils). From 123 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
KS4 Attainment 8 score
Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores (2024/25).
Department for Education (compare school performance)
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
2024/25Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores. From 31 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Schools opened in the last two years
New schools (not academy conversions, relaunches or mergers) with an opening date Oct 2024 - Sep 2026.
Department for Education (GIAS)
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
Oct 2024 to Sep 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, medium quality
Method: Schools in an area

Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.

Method: Pupil-weighted school measures

FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.

Method: Change events

Events are dated records from public registers: company insolvency notices in The Gazette (loaded from July 2025, so the window is under 24 months), charity registrations and removals (Charity Commission register events), and school opening and closing dates (GIAS), where academy conversions, relaunches and mergers are labelled separately from genuine new schools and closures. They are located at the registered office, registered address or school premises, which is not necessarily where an organisation operates or where affected people live. Each council shows only its most recent events per type (cap per type); wards show all loaded events. The Gazette feed carries insolvency notices only, not planning, licensing or other notices. A notice is an event on the register, not a judgement about the organisation. No individuals' names are stored.

Latest Ofsted judgements

  • Outstanding14%
  • Good72.7%
  • Requires improvement8.7%
  • Inadequate1.3%
  • Not judged3.3%

This place England

Share of schools by latest overall judgement. Inspection frameworks have changed over time, so older and newer judgements are not like for like. as at 31 Aug 2026.

How do we know this?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Ofsted grades of schools
Latest overall Ofsted grade of schools in the area as at 31 Aug 2026 (distribution).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
as at 31 Aug 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures

FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.

Schools by phase

  • Primary71.8%
  • Other or not recorded16.6%
  • Secondary11%
  • 16 plus0.6%

This place England

Share of schools. Oct 2026.

How do we know this?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Schools by phase
Open schools by phase of education (distribution).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
Oct 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)
Method: Schools in an area

Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.

Schools by type

  • Local authority maintained47%
  • Academies37.6%
  • Special schools (La)7.7%
  • Independent5%
  • Free schools1.7%
  • Other types0.6%
  • Universities0.6%

This place England

Share of schools. Oct 2026.

How do we know this?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Schools by type
Open schools by establishment type group (distribution).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
Oct 2026Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)
Method: Schools in an area

Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.

Pupils and attendance

Pupils eligible for free school meals
18.8%
2025/26 · aggregated
6 percentage points lower than England
North West 28.5%England 24.8%
Pupils on SEN support
14%
2025/26 · aggregated
0.8 percentage points lower than England
North West 15.2%England 14.8%
Pupils with an EHC plan
7.1%
2025/26 · aggregated
1.1 percentage points higher than England
North West 6.9%England 6%
Overall absence rate
6.9%
2024/25 · aggregated
About the same as England
North West 6.8%England 6.7%
Persistent absence
16.8%
2024/25 · aggregated
1 percentage point lower than England
North West 17.9%England 17.8%
How do we know these figures?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Pupils eligible for free school meals
Pupil-weighted share of pupils eligible for free school meals (2025/26).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2025/26Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 172 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Pupils on SEN support
Pupil-weighted share of pupils receiving SEN support (2025/26).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2025/26Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 175 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Pupils with an EHC plan
Pupil-weighted share of pupils with an education, health and care plan (2025/26).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2025/26Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 175 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Overall absence rate
Pupil-weighted share of sessions missed for any reason (2024/25).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2024/25Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 151 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Persistent absence
Pupil-weighted share of pupils missing 10% or more of sessions (2024/25).
Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
2024/25Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)aggregated, high quality
Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 145 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live.
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures

FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.

Pupil characteristics describe who attends local schools, not how good the schools are. Absence and special educational needs rates differ for many reasons beyond the school.

Adult qualifications

What residents have studied, from the census.

Adults with no qualifications
15.8%
2021
2.2 percentage points lower than England
England 18%
Adults with a degree-level qualification or above
35.7%
2021
1.7 percentage points higher than England
England 34%
How do we know these figures?
FigureSourcePeriodGeographyMethod and limits
Adults with no qualifications
Share of usual residents aged 16 and over with no qualifications (Census 2021).
Office for National Statistics
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
2021Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)direct, high quality
Adults with a degree-level qualification or above
Share of usual residents aged 16 and over whose highest qualification is Level 4 (degree level) or above (Census 2021).
Office for National Statistics
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
2021Cheshire West and Chester (Council area)direct, high quality
Method: Census 2021 housing, health and qualifications for Wales

Wales held its census on the same day as England (21 March 2021) with the same questions, so the figures are directly comparable. For Wales we use the published local authority tables. Tenure counts shared ownership with owners; "private rented" includes people who live rent free, as in the England figures. Overcrowding is an occupancy rating of -1 or less for bedrooms. Qualifications are for people aged 16 and over; "no qualifications" and "Level 4 or above" (degree level and above) are shares of all those people. Counts are rounded by random adjustment, so tiny differences from other tables are expected. Wales households per local authority are not split to small areas here.

Highest qualification of people aged 16 and over, Census 2021 (21 March 2021). Level 4 is degree level and above. Older adults are less likely to hold formal qualifications, so areas with more older residents show higher shares with none.

Local schools (177)

Listed alphabetically. Each links to its own page, with its Ofsted record, results and governors.

SchoolPhaseTypePupils
Abbey Gate CollegeNot applicableOther independent school408
Abbey School for Exceptional ChildrenNot applicableOther independent special school128
Acresfield AcademyPrimaryAcademy converter248
Adventure Wellbeing SchoolNot applicableOther independent special school46
Alvanley and Manley Village SchoolPrimaryCommunity school100
Ancora House SchoolNot applicablePupil referral unit19
Antrobus St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school96
Archers Brook Semh SchoolNot applicableCommunity special school118
Ashton Hayes Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school134
Aston by Sutton Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school91
Barnton Community Nursery and Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter482
Barrow CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary controlled school48
Belgrave Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter211
Bishop Heber High SchoolSecondaryFoundation school1,293
Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school66
Blacon High School, a Specialist Sports CollegeSecondaryFoundation school651
Boughton Heath AcademyPrimaryAcademy converter225
Brookside Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school184
Byley Primary School and NurseryPrimaryCommunity school88
Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimaryCommunity school256
Capenhurst CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter88
Charles Darwin Community Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school331
Cherry Grove Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school274
Chester Blue Coat Church of England Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school369
Chester International SchoolSecondaryStudio schools229
Childer Thornton Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter246
Christleton High SchoolSecondaryAcademy converter1,382
Christleton Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school220
Cloughwood AcademyNot applicableAcademy special converter120
Clutton Church of England Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter39
Comberbach Nursery and Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter200
Cransley SchoolNot applicableOther independent school254
Crowton Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school50
Cuddington Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter190
Darnhall Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school440
Davenham CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter302
Dee Banks SchoolNot applicableCommunity special school141
Dee Point Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school485
Delamere CofE Primary AcademyPrimaryAcademy converter177
Dodleston CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy converter65
Dorin Park School & Specialist Sen CollegeNot applicableCommunity special school170
Duddon St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary controlled school66
Eaton Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy sponsor led175
Eccleston CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school91
Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary AcademySecondaryAcademy sponsor led950
Ellesmere Port Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school197
Ellesmere Port Church of England CollegeSecondaryAcademy sponsor led777
Elmy Hall SchoolNot applicableOther independent special school
Elton Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school205
Farndon Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school313
Fern House School and CollegeNot applicableOther independent special school16
Frodsham CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary controlled school219
Frodsham Manor House Primary SchoolPrimaryCommunity school214
Frodsham Primary AcademyPrimaryAcademy sponsor led80
Grange Community Nursery and Primary SchoolPrimaryAcademy sponsor led218
Great Budworth CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary aided school37
Greenbank SchoolNot applicableCommunity special school129
Guilden Sutton CofE Primary SchoolPrimaryVoluntary controlled school207
Hartford Church of England High SchoolSecondaryVoluntary aided school1,102
Hartford Manor Primary School & NurseryPrimaryCommunity school442

Showing the first 60 of 177. Near Me lists schools by distance.

Sources used on this page

4

Registered offices are not operating locations. Ranks and deciles are never averaged. Census 2021 figures are labelled 2021.