Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College
Foundation school · 651 pupils
62% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.2
Foundation school
Bishop Heber High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,293of 1,321 places
- Free school meals
- 14.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 204
- Ofsted
- Good, 1 November 2022Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 217 pupils who finished Year 11 at Bishop Heber High School in 2023, 53% stayed on in Bishop Heber High School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 25% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 127 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 46% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 28% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 38% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 53.8 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 55% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Cheshire West and Chester and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bishop Heber High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 217 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 84% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 53% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 3% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 25% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 6% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 4% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bishop Heber High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 127 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 46% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 28% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 32% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 9% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Bishop Heber High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 53.8 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 55% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 81% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 66% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.97 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 9% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 46.1 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 54.6 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 0% | 8% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 242 | 100% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 79% |
| Mathematics | 205 | 100% | 88% | 29% | 22% | 86% |
| English Literature | 202 | 99% | 86% | 25% | 21% | 83% |
| Combined Science | 143 | 70% | 65% | 13% | 9% | 72% |
| Geography | 125 | 61% | 41% | 32% | 25% | 82% |
| History | 80 | 39% | 41% | 33% | 26% | 75% |
| German | 78 | 38% | 5% | 13% | 33% | 74% |
| Spanish | 73 | 36% | 19% | 19% | 27% | 68% |
| Physics | 60 | 29% | 23% | 38% | 46% | 95% |
| Chemistry | 60 | 29% | 23% | 53% | 47% | 93% |
| Biology | 60 | 29% | 23% | 43% | 45% | 93% |
| Business Studies | 53 | 26% | 18% | 23% | 20% | 70% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 39 | 19% | 8% | 28% | 21% | 85% |
| Art and Design | 38 | 19% | 7% | 32% | 24% | 76% |
| Drama | 28 | 14% | 7% | 54% | 27% | 96% |
| Computer Science | 26 | 13% | 13% | 27% | 30% | 77% |
| Physical Education | 23 | 11% | 11% | 52% | 24% | 87% |
| Design and Technology | 19 | 9% | 11% | 5% | 23% | 79% |
| Film Studies | 18 | 9% | 1% | 0% | 20% | 44% |
| Media Studies | 18 | 9% | 4% | 28% | 20% | 94% |
| Photography | 17 | 8% | 6% | 24% | 19% | 76% |
| Religious Studies | 17 | 8% | 31% | 41% | 32% | 88% |
| Music | 15 | 7% | 5% | 33% | 33% | 67% |
| French | 2 | 1% | 18% | — | 29% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Studies | 33 | 28% | — |
| Small Business Management | 22 | 19% | — |
| Sports Studies | 16 | 14% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Bishop Heber High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 241 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 118 | 1,955 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 37.18 | 38.11 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 18% | 23% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | 32 | 27% | 10% |
| Mathematics | 28 | 24% | 31% |
| Psychology | 24 | 20% | 23% |
| Economics | 20 | 17% | 13% |
| History | 17 | 14% | 13% |
| Sociology | 17 | 14% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 17 | 14% | 17% |
| Biology | 16 | 14% | 20% |
| Product Design | 16 | 14% | 2% |
| Art and Design | 16 | 14% | 1% |
| Physics | 16 | 14% | 12% |
| Media Studies | 14 | 12% | 4% |
| English Literature | 13 | 11% | 11% |
| Computer Science | 8 | 7% | 5% |
| Drama | 8 | 7% | 2% |
| English Language | 8 | 7% | 4% |
| Politics | 8 | 7% | 6% |
| Further Mathematics | 7 | 6% | 5% |
| Religious Studies | 7 | 6% | 4% |
| Music Technology | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 30 | 25% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 15 | 13% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 11 | 9% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 8% | — |
| Tourism | VRQ Level 3 | 9 | 8% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 7% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester
Chester International School
Studio schools · sixth form · 229 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.5
Christleton High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,382 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.8
Ellesmere Port Church of England College
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 777 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.0
Hartford Church of England High School
Voluntary aided school · 1,102 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.3
Helsby High School
Community school · sixth form · 1,211 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.1
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.