Report card · inspected May 2026
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
This schoolOther secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | Needs attention | ||||
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention | ||||
| Achievement | Needs attention | ||||
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard | ||||
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard | ||||
| Early years | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Post-16 provision | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention | ||||
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
Inspection history
- 12 May 2026Report card · 2 Expected standard, 4 Needs attention
- 28 November 2023Graded inspection: Requires improvement
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry98 applications · 78 places offered · 74 named it first
- 2026 1.3; Cheshire West and Chester median median 2.0
- 2025 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 2.1
- 2024 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 2.0
- 2023 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.8
- 2022 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.8
- 2021 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.9
- 2020 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.8
- 2019 1.2; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.8
- 2018 1.3; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.6
- 2017 1.1; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.8
- 2016 1.1; Cheshire West and Chester median median 2.0
- 2015 1.1; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.7
- 2014 1.3; Cheshire West and Chester median median 1.6
- This school
- Cheshire West and Chester median
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 78 | 98 | 1.3 | 74 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2025 | 118 | 145 | 1.2 | 118 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2024 | 112 | 136 | 1.2 | 111 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2023 | 146 | 176 | 1.2 | 150 | 1.03 |
| Sep 2022 | 150 | 185 | 1.2 | 162 | 1.08 |
| Sep 2021 | 135 | 157 | 1.2 | 134 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2020 | 145 | 173 | 1.2 | 148 | 1.02 |
| Sep 2019 | 149 | 178 | 1.2 | 147 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2018 | 124 | 156 | 1.3 | 133 | 1.07 |
| Sep 2017 | 112 | 126 | 1.1 | 110 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2016 | 105 | 113 | 1.1 | 100 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2015 | 82 | 86 | 1.1 | 79 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2014 | 55 | 69 | 1.3 | 54 | 0.98 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 127 | 30.3 | 20% | 32% | – |
| 2024/25 | 133 | 33.2 | 17% | 37% | – |
| 2023/24 | 127 | 37.2 | 24% | 47% | −0.63 |
| 2022/23 | 126 | 35.1 | 21% | 37% | −0.65 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports CollegeThis schoolThis school20261.3applications per place 30.3Attainment 8
- 3.9 km · Cheshire West and ChesterGood202238.5Attainment 8
- 3.9 km · Cheshire West and ChesterGraded · no overall grade20252.0applications per place 48.6Attainment 8
- 4.1 km · Cheshire West and Chester20262.8applications per place 44.1Attainment 8
- 4.5 km · Cheshire West and ChesterStandards maintained20252.0applications per place 54.6Attainment 8
- 5.1 km · Cheshire West and ChesterStandards maintained20253.0applications per place 53.7Attainment 8
- 6.8 km · Cheshire West and Chester20261.9applications per place 39.0Attainment 8
- 7.2 km · Cheshire West and ChesterGood20243.0applications per place 52.4Attainment 8
- 7.6 km · Cheshire West and Chester20262.1applications per place 36.2Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Foundation school
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 111396 · 896/4006
- Trust
- Blacon High School Trust
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 750 pupils · 651 on roll
- Free school meals
- 48.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Address
- Melbourne Road, Blacon, Chester, CH1 5JH
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources