Bishop Heber High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,293 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.8
Voluntary aided school
St Nicholas Catholic High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,201of 1,240 places
- Free school meals
- 13.9%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 197
- Ofsted
- Good, 5 March 2024Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 208 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Nicholas Catholic High School in 2023, 39% stayed on in St Nicholas Catholic High School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 24% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 100 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 52% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 23% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 23% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 50.8 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 46% 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 | This school | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 208 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 96% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 92% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 39% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 28% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 24% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 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 | This school | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 100 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 52% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 23% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 20% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 13% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 50.8 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 46% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 72% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 59% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.67 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 13% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 34.1 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 53.3 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 9% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 197 | 100% | 88% | 24% | 22% | 77% |
| English Language | 196 | 99% | 89% | 27% | 20% | 77% |
| Religious Studies | 195 | 99% | 31% | 25% | 32% | 69% |
| English Literature | 193 | 98% | 86% | 23% | 21% | 80% |
| Combined Science | 149 | 76% | 65% | 5% | 9% | 62% |
| History | 116 | 59% | 41% | 28% | 26% | 67% |
| Geography | 88 | 45% | 41% | 28% | 25% | 69% |
| Spanish | 87 | 44% | 19% | 30% | 27% | 74% |
| Business Studies | 78 | 40% | 18% | 9% | 20% | 59% |
| Biology | 47 | 24% | 23% | 64% | 45% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 47 | 24% | 23% | 57% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 47 | 24% | 23% | 51% | 46% | 100% |
| Art and Design | 46 | 23% | 7% | 39% | 24% | 89% |
| French | 30 | 15% | 18% | 27% | 29% | 63% |
| Physical Education | 29 | 15% | 11% | 24% | 24% | 79% |
| Computer Science | 22 | 11% | 13% | 23% | 30% | 77% |
| Design and Technology | 20 | 10% | 11% | 5% | 23% | 25% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 16 | 8% | 8% | 13% | 21% | 75% |
| Music | 8 | 4% | 5% | 75% | 33% | 75% |
| Drama | 8 | 4% | 7% | 25% | 27% | 100% |
| Polish | 7 | 4% | 1% | 71% | 84% | 86% |
| Chinese | 4 | 2% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Portuguese | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 14 | 18% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 161 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 79 | 1,955 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 27.03 | 38.11 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C- | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 5% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | 27 | 34% | 13% |
| Law | 25 | 32% | 4% |
| Psychology | 22 | 28% | 23% |
| Physical Education | 19 | 24% | 3% |
| Economics | 17 | 22% | 13% |
| History | 14 | 18% | 13% |
| Geography | 13 | 16% | 10% |
| English Literature | 12 | 15% | 11% |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 15% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 12 | 15% | 31% |
| English Language | 12 | 15% | 4% |
| Biology | 10 | 13% | 20% |
| Chemistry | 9 | 11% | 17% |
| Art and Design | 7 | 9% | 1% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 7 | 9% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester
Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College
Foundation school · 651 pupils
62% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.2
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
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.