Bishop Heber High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,293 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.8
Foundation school
Upton-by-Chester High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,728of 1,670 places
- Free school meals
- 16.0%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 276
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 5 February 2025Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 278 pupils who finished Year 11 at Upton-by-Chester High School in 2023, 57% stayed on in Upton-by-Chester High School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 27% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 174 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 61% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 30% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Media Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 26% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 48.8 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 43% 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 | Upton-by-Chester High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 278 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 57% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 2% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 27% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 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 | Upton-by-Chester High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 174 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 61% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 30% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 19% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Upton-by-Chester High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 48.8 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 43% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 67% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 36% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.30 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 17% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.3 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 51.5 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 13% | 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 | 270 | 98% | 88% | 20% | 22% | 73% |
| English Language | 270 | 98% | 89% | 27% | 20% | 80% |
| English Literature | 268 | 97% | 86% | 21% | 21% | 78% |
| Combined Science | 216 | 78% | 65% | 16% | 9% | 68% |
| Geography | 161 | 58% | 41% | 28% | 25% | 67% |
| Business Studies | 109 | 39% | 18% | 16% | 20% | 72% |
| History | 88 | 32% | 41% | 35% | 26% | 72% |
| Media Studies | 71 | 26% | 4% | 15% | 20% | 65% |
| Design and Technology | 60 | 22% | 11% | 25% | 23% | 80% |
| Computer Science | 60 | 22% | 13% | 15% | 30% | 57% |
| Spanish | 58 | 21% | 19% | 16% | 27% | 71% |
| Physical Education | 52 | 19% | 11% | 23% | 24% | 73% |
| Religious Studies | 52 | 19% | 31% | 40% | 32% | 83% |
| Chemistry | 51 | 18% | 23% | 47% | 47% | 86% |
| Physics | 51 | 18% | 23% | 45% | 46% | 86% |
| Biology | 51 | 18% | 23% | 41% | 45% | 88% |
| French | 46 | 17% | 18% | 35% | 29% | 74% |
| Fine Art | 35 | 13% | 9% | 23% | 28% | 83% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 19 | 7% | 8% | 21% | 21% | 63% |
| Drama | 15 | 5% | 7% | 27% | 27% | 67% |
| Graphic Communication | 8 | 3% | 1% | 25% | 23% | 100% |
| Photography | 8 | 3% | 6% | 25% | 19% | 100% |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 0% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 32 | 21% | — |
| Health Studies | 28 | 18% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 27 | 18% | — |
| Dance: General | 15 | 10% | — |
| Animal Care (Non-Agricultural) | 9 | 6% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 7 | 5% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Upton-by-Chester High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 314 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 152 | 1,955 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 34.51 | 38.11 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 15% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 48 | 32% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 42 | 28% | 31% |
| Economics | 38 | 25% | 13% |
| Biology | 32 | 21% | 20% |
| Physics | 29 | 19% | 12% |
| Business Studies | 29 | 19% | 13% |
| Media Studies | 27 | 18% | 4% |
| Geography | 24 | 16% | 10% |
| Sociology | 23 | 15% | 13% |
| English Literature | 21 | 14% | 11% |
| Computer Science | 14 | 9% | 5% |
| Politics | 14 | 9% | 6% |
| Physical Education | 13 | 9% | 3% |
| Chemistry | 13 | 9% | 17% |
| Fine Art | 13 | 9% | 3% |
| English Language | 10 | 7% | 4% |
| History | 9 | 6% | 13% |
| French | 8 | 5% | 1% |
| Photography | 8 | 5% | 3% |
| Product Design | 7 | 5% | 2% |
| Spanish | 6 | 4% | 2% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Graphic Communication | — | — | 2% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 33 | 22% | — |
| Film / Video / Television Production | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 4% | — |
| Applied Sciences | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Art and Design | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
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.