Graded inspection · Mar 2025 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther secondary schools in Cheshire East
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good | |||
| Personal development | Good | |||
| Leadership and management | Good | |||
| Sixth form provision | Outstanding |
Inspection history
- 18 March 2025Graded inspection, no overall grade
- 28 June 2023Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)
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 entry403 applications · 236 places offered · 253 named it first
- 2026 1.7; Cheshire East median median 2.0
- 2025 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2024 1.6; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2023 1.7; Cheshire East median median 1.7
- 2022 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.7
- 2021 1.4; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2020 1.6; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2019 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2018 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.7
- 2017 1.4; Cheshire East median median 1.7
- 2016 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.8
- 2015 1.5; Cheshire East median median 1.6
- 2014 1.6; Cheshire East median median 1.6
- This school
- Cheshire East 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 | 236 | 403 | 1.7 | 253 | 1.07 |
| Sep 2025 | 232 | 348 | 1.5 | 227 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2024 | 221 | 353 | 1.6 | 218 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2023 | 240 | 398 | 1.7 | 276 | 1.15 |
| Sep 2022 | 242 | 354 | 1.5 | 230 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2021 | 268 | 371 | 1.4 | 257 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2020 | 236 | 374 | 1.6 | 226 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2019 | 269 | 412 | 1.5 | 301 | 1.12 |
| Sep 2018 | 239 | 364 | 1.5 | 232 | 0.97 |
| Sep 2017 | 207 | 299 | 1.4 | 199 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2016 | 189 | 274 | 1.5 | 187 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2015 | 186 | 281 | 1.5 | 184 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2014 | 193 | 311 | 1.6 | 180 | 0.93 |
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.) | 260 | 45.9 | 42% | 66% | – |
| 2024/25 | 232 | 48.2 | 50% | 74% | – |
| 2023/24 | 264 | 47.7 | 48% | 72% | +0.28 |
| 2022/23 | 230 | 48.7 | 49% | 67% | −0.03 |
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
- Sandbach SchoolThis schoolThis schoolGraded · no overall grade20251.7applications per place 45.9Attainment 8
- 0.4 km · Cheshire EastGood20221.6applications per place 54.3Attainment 8
- 5.8 km · Cheshire EastSerious weaknesses 20261.2applications per place 27.4Attainment 8
- 6.0 km · Cheshire EastGood20231.7applications per place 48.6Attainment 8
- 6.0 km · Cheshire EastStandards maintained20252.0applications per place 49.4Attainment 8
- 6.7 km · Cheshire EastRemains Good202324.0Attainment 8
- 6.7 km · Cheshire EastGraded · no overall grade202431.6Attainment 8
- 7.4 km · Cheshire EastGood20222.0applications per place 41.3Attainment 8
- 7.8 km · Cheshire EastRemains Good · concerns noted20242.4applications per place 45.2Attainment 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
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 137491 · 895/6010
- Trust
- Sandbach School
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 1,500 pupils · 1,534 on roll
- Free school meals
- 15.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2011
- Replaced
- Sandbach School (URN 111476)
- Address
- Crewe Road, Sandbach, CW11 3NS
- Local authority
- Cheshire East
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources