The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School
Academy converter secondary school in Chester (Cheshire West and Chester).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
It is my pleasure to welcome you to our school website and I hope the information here gives you a glimpse into what it means to be a student at Bishops'. My vision for Bishops' is to be a flourishing school community that inspired all to be the best version of themselves.
At Bishops' each child will be known as unique individuals, requiring personalised learning experiences that support their development as confident lifelong learners, responsible citizens, and compassionate individuals. At Bishops' each child will be nurtured through supportive relationships, excellent teaching and learning and a rich set of opportunities.
At Bishops' each child will be inspired to grow academically, personally and spiritually to achieve personal success and make a positive difference at Bishops' and beyond. As a committed Christian, I believe in grounding education in strong Christian values of dignity and respect, hope and aspiration and wisdom knowledge and skills.
Our school is an inclusive environment where all are encouraged to deepen their faith, live a life guided by Jesus to flourish and have, 'life in all its fullness'.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
23 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Reading Programme
- All about exams
- RE at Bishops
- LIFE Programme
- Extra Curricular
- Social Action
- Aspiring Careers
- Dignity and Respect
- Board games
- Debate
- Art and drawing
- ICT skills
- Basketball
- Football
- Netball
- Dodgeball
and 7 more
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
Key facts
- URN
- 136543
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Constituency
- Chester North and Neston
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2011
Governing body (22 current, 4 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.18 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr David Walsh Confirmed same person | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Magnus Theobald Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Nicole Wellings Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Stuart Roberts Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Fiona Jones Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Jennifer Stratford Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Revd Andrew Stinson Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr Alex Taylor Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Miss Helen Cairns Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2023 |
| Mr Steven Corley Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Ms Sarah Emes-Young Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Miss Helen Cairns Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2023 | |
| Professor Graeme White | MemberTrust members | Persons who are appointed by the foundation body or sponsor (if applicable) | since 2022 |
| Mr Ralph Mainard Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 |
| Dr Michael Bird Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| Dr Laura Edwards Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2021 · until 2029 |
| The Right Reverend Mark Tanner | MemberTrust members | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2020 |
| Mr Ralph Mainard Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2018 · until 2030 |
| Dr Elaine Hemmings Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2016 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Alison Beasley Confirmed same person | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2012 | |
| Chester Diocesan Board of Education | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2011 |
| Mr Ralph Mainard Confirmed same person Former | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr David Walsh Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2023 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Andrew Hardman Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by school staff | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Jonathan Price Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by school staff | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Amy Baker-Howell | Governance Professional - Single-Academy Trust (SAT)Governance professional | since 2024 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record