Overall Oxbridge
#837
6 ranked schools · +77 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
76
Offers
15
Offer rate19.7%
-2.7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
Schools in Chester
Chester is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West and Chester, and the historic county town of Cheshire, set on the River Dee close to the England-Wales border. Founded in 79 AD as the Roman fort Deva Victrix, the city's sandstone walls rank among the best-preserved Roman town walls in England, their almost-complete circuit enclosing a compact centre of medieval lanes and Victorian black-and-white facades. Chester City Centre and Hoole are among the most sought-after pockets for primary catchments, while Great Boughton has long been a school-competitive corner to the east of the old walls. Upton and Christleton offer quieter suburban choices for families. Around 92,700 people lived in Chester's built-up area at the 2021 census, and rail services from Chester station reach Liverpool Lime Street in around 45 minutes and Manchester Piccadilly in under an hour.
41
Primary
schools
10
Secondary
schools
3
All-through
schools
6
Special
schools
2
Other
schools
of which13sixth forms·21faith62 total
Area Performance
Chester schools rank in the top 48% of England
Across 66 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.27/10, -0.16 vs England.
Find My School Inspection Band
13% Elite
Distribution across all Chester schools
EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding
Chester vs England distribution
National Rank
Top 48%
Across all ranked Chester schools
Top 51%Primaryavg #7,633 of 14,978
Top 40%Secondaryavg #1,560 of 3,862
Top 48%Sixth formavg #1,220 of 2,555
Primary schools: 40 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.09 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,633
-1 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 51% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
62%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
8%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.09 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,633
-1 pts vs medianmedian 7,489
top 51% of 14,978
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
62%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
8%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 13 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.16 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,560
+10 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 40% of 3,862
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
54%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
41.2
+2.1 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.2/10
-0.16 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,560
+10 pts vs medianmedian 1,931
top 40% of 3,862
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
54%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
41.2
+2.1 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 13 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.40 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,220
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 48% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
28%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
54%
+4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.40 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,220
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,278
top 48% of 2,555
% A*-A at A-Level
28%
+2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
54%
+4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#238
4 ranked schools · +15 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,197
Applications
44
Offers
6
Offer rate13.6%
-1.4 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#805
6 ranked schools · -32 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
32
Offers
9
Offer rate28.1%
-1.3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Chester
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Chester
Top 3 Sixth Forms
2026
Chester
Local directory
School profiles in Chester
Browse 54 local profile links across primary schools and secondary schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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