1
The County High School, Leftwich
Northwich • Cheshire • CW9 8EZ
1
25 Apr 2016
Top 10 Secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2021)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the local authority of Cheshire West and Chester. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
20
Outstanding
1
Good
16
Median inspection year
2021
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 5% · G: 80% · RI: 15% · I: 0%
2
Christleton High School
Chester • Cheshire • CH3 7AD
2
1 Jul 2024
3
St Nicholas Catholic High School
Northwich • Cheshire • CW8 1JW
2
7 May 2024
4
Hartford Church of England High School
Northwich • Cheshire • CW8 1LH
2
12 Nov 2023
5
Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College
Tarporley • Cheshire • CW6 0BL
2
28 Jun 2023
6
Ellesmere Port Church of England College
Ellesmere Port • Cheshire • CH65 6EA
2
14 Jun 2023
7
Bishop Heber High School
Malpas • Cheshire • SY14 8JD
2
12 Dec 2022
8
The Whitby High School
Ellesmere Port • Cheshire • CH66 2NU
2
18 Jul 2022
9
Chester International School
Chester • Cheshire • CH4 7AE
2
28 Mar 2022
10
Queen's Park High School
Chester • Cheshire • CH4 7AE
2
22 Jan 2020
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School 2 • Jan 2020
- The Rudheath Senior Academy 2 • Feb 2018
- Upton-by-Chester High School 2 • Jun 2015
- Helsby High School 2 • Mar 2014
- Neston High School 2 • Jun 2013
- The Catholic High School, Chester 2 • Oct 2011
- Weaverham High School 2 • Mar 2011
- Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College 3 • Mar 2024
- The Winsford Academy 3 • Jan 2023
- Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy 3 • Sep 2021