Which school has the best GCSE results in Cheshire?

On 2025 Attainment 8, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls tops the table in Cheshire with 80.6, against an England average of 46.0. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so compare a school's grade 5+ pass rate and, where published, its Progress 8 before reading the rank as a verdict.

When are the 2026 GCSE results for Cheshire schools published?

Pupils receive their results in August, but school-by-school figures come from the DfE performance tables, which publish provisional results in the autumn (usually mid-October) and revised figures early in the new year. This table shows 2025 results, the 2024/25 academic year, and updates when the next release is imported.

What is Attainment 8?

Attainment 8 is the DfE's headline GCSE measure: the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight qualifications, with English and maths counted twice. A score of 50 means pupils averaged roughly a grade 5 across those subjects. No Progress 8 exists for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020.

Why does a school in Cheshire show no GCSE results?

A school has no published figure when it had no Year 11 cohort in the year (a new school, or one that opened with younger year groups), when it converted to an academy and the DfE published results under its previous identity, or when it is independent and its pupils sat IGCSE, Pre-U or IB qualifications that the DfE tables do not count. Independent schools with a published figure are listed separately and unranked for that reason.

Cheshire GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

91 state secondary schools in Cheshire ranked on their 2025 GCSE results (Attainment 8, the 2024/25 academic year, the latest DfE has published for every school), with grade 5+ and grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc average point score and cohort size for each school against the England average. 4 schools with no published results are listed at the end. 14 independent schools with published results are listed separately, unranked.

County 95 state secondary schools 2024/25 results

Secondary schools in Cheshire ranked on Attainment 8

91 of 95 schools have published 2025 results. Source: DfE school performance tables, 2024/25.

Secondary schools in Cheshire ranked on Attainment 8, 2025 results
Rank	School	Attainment 8	Grade 5+ English & maths	Grade 4+ English & maths	EBacc APS	Pupils
–	England average	46.0	45%	65%	4.09	–
1	Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Altrincham · Academy converter	80.6	100%	100%	8.01	208
2	Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Altrincham · Academy converter	78.5	99%	100%	7.21	202
3	Saint Ambrose College Altrincham · Academy converter	76.2	98%	100%	7.10	150
4	Sale Grammar School Sale · Academy converter	76.1	97%	100%	7.25	192
5	Loreto Grammar School Altrincham · Academy converter	73.7	92%	98%	6.90	157
6	Cheadle Hulme High School Cheadle · Academy converter	60.7	75%	88%	5.74	268
7	Lymm High School Lymm · Academy converter	59.7	69%	87%	5.25	302
8	Wellington School Altrincham · Academy converter	57.3	63%	84%	5.18	259
9	King's Leadership Academy Warrington Warrington · Free schools	56.0	65%	88%	5.28	150
10	Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College Sandbach · Academy converter	55.6	59%	80%	5.06	238
11	Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College Tarporley · Academy converter	55.1	68%	81%	4.68	193
12	Knutsford Academy Knutsford · Academy converter	54.9	68%	85%	4.91	212
13	Christleton High School Chester · Academy converter	54.8	63%	86%	5.01	216
14	North Cestrian School Altrincham · Free schools	54.2	60%	86%	4.56	148
15	Wade Deacon High School Widnes · Academy converter	54.0	62%	77%	4.77	317
16=	Bishop Heber High School Malpas · Foundation school	53.8	55%	81%	4.97	204
16=	The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School Chester · Academy converter	53.8	59%	80%	4.67	193
18	The Fallibroome Academy Macclesfield · Academy converter	53.4	56%	76%	4.48	240
19	Poynton High School Stockport · Academy converter	53.0	53%	77%	4.80	237
20	Priestnall School Stockport · Academy converter	52.6	57%	79%	4.59	247
21	Ashton-on-Mersey School Sale · Academy converter	52.1	58%	82%	4.78	254
22=	Alsager School Stoke-on-Trent · Academy converter	51.9	52%	75%	4.72	257
22=	The County High School, Leftwich Northwich · Academy converter	51.9	58%	76%	5.05	205
24	Bridgewater High School Warrington · Academy converter	51.8	58%	73%	4.54	327
25	Bramhall High School Stockport · Community school	51.7	58%	79%	4.73	251
26	Wilmslow High School Wilmslow · Community school	51.4	53%	75%	4.52	341
27=	Culcheth High School Warrington · Community school	51.1	55%	74%	4.52	228
27=	St James' Catholic High School Cheadle · Voluntary aided school	51.1	46%	73%	4.60	165
29	St Gregory's Catholic High School Warrington · Voluntary aided school	50.9	52%	73%	4.58	235
30	St Nicholas Catholic High School Northwich · Voluntary aided school	50.8	46%	72%	4.67	197
31	Weaverham High School Northwich · Academy converter	50.6	57%	70%	4.44	228
32	Great Sankey High School Warrington · Academy converter	50.5	49%	74%	4.52	371
33	Hartford Church of England High School Northwich · Voluntary aided school	50.3	56%	77%	4.69	196
34=	Golborne High School Warrington · Foundation school	50.1	46%	72%	4.61	221
34=	Tytherington School Macclesfield · Academy converter	50.1	54%	73%	4.53	228
36	Brine Leas School Nantwich · Academy converter	49.7	53%	77%	4.36	228
37	All Hallows Catholic College Macclesfield · Academy converter	49.6	53%	71%	4.39	209
38	Madeley High School Crewe · Academy converter	49.5	55%	76%	4.45	140
39	Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College Altrincham · Voluntary aided school	48.9	42%	66%	3.79	261
40	Upton-by-Chester High School Chester · Foundation school	48.8	43%	67%	4.30	276
41	Hazel Grove High School Stockport · Academy converter	48.6	47%	66%	4.41	260
42	Altrincham College Altrincham · Academy converter	48.5	48%	69%	4.19	174
43=	Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School Crewe · Academy converter	48.2	44%	70%	4.06	230
43=	Sandbach School Sandbach · Free schools	48.2	50%	74%	4.00	232
45	Birchwood Community High School Warrington · Academy converter	47.9	43%	70%	4.35	154
46	Shavington Academy Shavington · Academy converter	47.8	43%	74%	3.93	162
47	St Thomas More Catholic High School Crewe · Academy converter	47.7	46%	74%	4.24	127
48	Lowton Church of England High School Warrington · Foundation school	47.5	39%	63%	4.05	153
49	Helsby High School Frodsham · Community school	47.1	52%	70%	4.44	216
50	Stockport Academy Stockport · Academy sponsor led	47.0	47%	63%	4.39	185
51	Eaton Bank Academy Congleton · Academy converter	46.9	40%	69%	3.96	175
52	The Catholic High School, Chester Chester · Academy converter	46.7	45%	64%	4.00	119
53	Alder Community High School Hyde · Community school	46.6	39%	70%	3.94	176
54=	Penketh High School Warrington · Academy converter	46.5	47%	65%	4.32	159
54=	The Kingsway School Cheadle · Academy converter	46.5	51%	72%	4.16	259
56	Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School Warrington · Academy sponsor led	46.1	41%	62%	4.10	167
57	Beamont Collegiate Academy Warrington · Academy sponsor led	45.8	38%	57%	4.19	177
58	Stockport School Stockport · Community school	45.7	50%	66%	4.14	263
59	Congleton High School Congleton · Academy converter	44.8	41%	63%	3.94	195
60	Sandymoor Ormiston Academy Runcorn · Free schools	44.4	43%	64%	3.85	102
61	Queen's Park High School Chester · Academy sponsor led	44.2	42%	61%	3.83	122
62	West Hill School Stalybridge · Academy converter	43.5	39%	61%	3.47	169
63	Neston High School Neston · Academy converter	43.4	37%	64%	3.70	299
64	The Macclesfield Academy Macclesfield · Academy sponsor led	42.7	34%	59%	3.70	123
65	The Heath School Runcorn · Academy converter	42.5	37%	61%	3.69	233
66	Cardinal Newman Catholic High School Warrington · Voluntary aided school	41.9	23%	60%	3.66	164
67	Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School Widnes · Voluntary aided school	41.4	33%	62%	3.36	215
68=	Middlewich High School Middlewich · Academy converter	41.2	34%	55%	3.85	134
68=	Ormiston Chadwick Academy Widnes · Academy sponsor led	41.2	39%	54%	3.36	179
68=	St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy Stockport · Academy sponsor led	41.2	41%	56%	3.56	128
71	Harrytown Catholic High School Stockport · Voluntary aided school	40.6	35%	53%	3.26	165
72	Ellesmere Port Church of England College Ellesmere Port · Academy sponsor led	39.0	26%	45%	3.21	82
73	The Whitby High School Ellesmere Port · Foundation school	38.9	31%	54%	3.48	274
74	Ruskin Community High School Crewe · Community school	37.9	26%	48%	3.16	134
75	Reddish Vale High School Stockport · Academy sponsor led	37.7	26%	41%	3.10	176
76	All Saints Catholic College Dukinfield · Academy converter	37.5	22%	47%	3.02	140
77	Ellesmere Port Catholic High School Ellesmere Port · Academy sponsor led	36.9	21%	47%	3.16	170
78	Werneth School Stockport · Academy sponsor led	36.8	25%	46%	3.04	209
79	The Grange School Runcorn · Academy sponsor led	36.4	24%	40%	3.22	114
80=	Dixons Pennine Academy Stalybridge · Academy converter	35.8	13%	34%	2.93	105
80=	Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy Runcorn · Academy sponsor led	35.8	33%	53%	2.73	135
82	The Rudheath Senior Academy Northwich · Academy sponsor led	35.7	28%	50%	2.98	121
83	Rayner Stephens High School Dukinfield · Academy sponsor led	35.6	30%	47%	3.05	142
84	Chester International School Chester · Studio schools	34.5	23%	43%	3.22	77
85	Blessed Carlo Acutis Catholic and Church of England Academy Runcorn · Academy sponsor led	33.3	19%	45%	2.78	73
86	Blacon High School Chester · Foundation school	33.2	17%	37%	2.59	133
87	Crewe Engineering and Design UTC Crewe · University technical college	32.4	19%	45%	2.51	101
88	The Winsford Academy Winsford · Academy sponsor led	30.6	14%	29%	2.54	190
89	Sir William Stanier School Crewe · Academy sponsor led	28.4	11%	27%	2.16	127
90	Cheshire Studio School Crewe · Studio schools	24.0	0%	27%	1.68	22
91	UTC Warrington Warrington · University technical college	23.0	14%	22%	1.93	92
–	Hyde High School Hyde · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Malbank School and Sixth Form College Nantwich · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Marple Hall School Stockport · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Sale High School Sale · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–

Schools with the same Attainment 8 score share a rank (shown as "=").

Independent schools in Cheshire with published GCSE results

Listed as published, not ranked. The DfE tables count only reformed GCSEs, so a school whose pupils sit IGCSE, Pre-U or the IB reports a lower figure than its results merit, or none at all. Compare independent schools on their own published examination results and inspection reports.

School	Attainment 8 (as published)	Grade 5+ English & maths	Pupils
Abbey Gate College Chester · Other independent school	55.0	50%	58
Alderley Edge School for Girls Alderley Edge · Other independent school	68.1	90%	48
Beech Hall School Macclesfield · Other independent school	36.2	38%	32
Cheadle Hulme School Cheadle · Other independent school	16.9	0%	182
Cransley School Northwich · Other independent school	51.4	64%	25
Hulme Hall Grammar School Stockport · Other independent school	61.9	75%	28
North West Hospital School Cheadle · Other independent school · 2022 results	0.5	0%	11
Stockport Grammar School Stockport · Other independent school	18.3	0%	178
The Grange School Northwich · Other independent school	29.2	0%	130
The Hammond Chester · Other independent school	32.0	25%	36
The King's School Chester · Other independent school	19.3	0%	106
The King's School In Macclesfield Macclesfield · Other independent school	28.9	0%	145
The Queen's School Chester · Other independent school	67.4	84%	44
Trinity School Stalybridge · Other independent school	52.4	27%	11

How to read this table

Attainment 8 is the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight GCSE subjects: English and maths (double-weighted), three EBacc subjects (sciences, computing, history, geography, languages) and three further approved qualifications. The DfE publishes it for every state school; the England average for 2025 was 46.0.

Grade 5+ in English and maths is the share of pupils reaching a "strong pass" in both; grade 4+ is the "standard pass". EBacc APS is the average point score across the English Baccalaureate subjects, including pupils who did not enter them.

Progress 8 is not shown: the DfE published no Progress 8 for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020, the baseline it is measured from, and the same applies to 2026. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so a selective school will usually top an attainment-only table.

Ranks are shared where scores tie. Schools are ranked here on published results alone; our composite score, which also weighs Ofsted inspection, progress and attendance, orders the same schools on the best secondary schools page.

See the best secondary schools in Cheshire on our composite score

Cheshire GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

Secondary schools in Cheshire ranked on Attainment 8

Independent schools in Cheshire with published GCSE results

More about schools in Cheshire

Cheshire GCSE results: common questions