Bishop Heber High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,293 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.8
Academy converter
Neston High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,712of 1,719 places
- Free school meals
- 17.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 299
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 9 February 2022Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Neston High School (URN 111398, until 1 July 2012).
What the data says
Of the 301 pupils who finished Year 11 at Neston High School in 2023, 39% stayed on in Neston High School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 32% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 120 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 38% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 16% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 43.4 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 37% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
A level grades average C, below the England average of B-; 4% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%). The largest A level subjects are Media Studies, Mathematics and Business Studies.
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 | Neston High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 301 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 39% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 13% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 32% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 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 | Neston High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 120 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 38% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 16% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 33% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 13% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Neston High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.4 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 64% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 33% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.70 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 23% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.4 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 46.7 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 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 | 296 | 99% | 88% | 16% | 22% | 76% |
| English Language | 295 | 99% | 89% | 13% | 20% | 69% |
| English Literature | 285 | 95% | 86% | 8% | 21% | 66% |
| Combined Science | 226 | 76% | 65% | 3% | 9% | 48% |
| Geography | 147 | 49% | 41% | 11% | 25% | 54% |
| History | 144 | 48% | 41% | 15% | 26% | 65% |
| Spanish | 68 | 23% | 19% | 15% | 27% | 50% |
| Biology | 57 | 19% | 23% | 25% | 45% | 89% |
| Physics | 57 | 19% | 23% | 25% | 46% | 82% |
| Chemistry | 57 | 19% | 23% | 14% | 47% | 82% |
| Physical Education | 47 | 16% | 11% | 23% | 24% | 94% |
| Religious Studies | 46 | 15% | 31% | 17% | 32% | 72% |
| Business Studies | 45 | 15% | 18% | 11% | 20% | 76% |
| Sociology | 45 | 15% | 4% | 7% | 21% | 71% |
| Applied Engineering | 34 | 11% | 0% | 0% | 18% | 56% |
| Fine Art | 28 | 9% | 9% | 14% | 28% | 86% |
| Computer Science | 27 | 9% | 13% | 22% | 30% | 70% |
| Graphic Communication | 21 | 7% | 1% | 10% | 23% | 81% |
| Photography | 20 | 7% | 6% | 10% | 19% | 65% |
| German | 20 | 7% | 5% | 15% | 33% | 90% |
| Textiles | 17 | 6% | 2% | 12% | 27% | 100% |
| Drama | 16 | 5% | 7% | 31% | 27% | 88% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 15 | 5% | 8% | 7% | 21% | 53% |
| 3D Design | 15 | 5% | 2% | 0% | 16% | 20% |
| French | 15 | 5% | 18% | 7% | 29% | 27% |
| Media Studies | 14 | 5% | 4% | 0% | 20% | 79% |
| Russian | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 0% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 60 | 63% | — |
| Small Business Management | 57 | 60% | — |
| Sports Studies | 39 | 41% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 28 | 29% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 20 | 21% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 16 | 17% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 14 | 15% | — |
| Dance: General | 1 | 1% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Neston High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 234 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 95 | 1,955 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 29.02 | 38.11 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 4% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Studies | 30 | 32% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 27 | 28% | 31% |
| Business Studies | 21 | 22% | 13% |
| English Literature | 19 | 20% | 11% |
| History | 15 | 16% | 13% |
| Physics | 11 | 12% | 12% |
| English Language | 11 | 12% | 4% |
| Biology | 11 | 12% | 20% |
| Geography | 10 | 11% | 10% |
| Graphic Communication | 10 | 11% | 2% |
| Spanish | 9 | 9% | 2% |
| Chemistry | 8 | 8% | 17% |
| Psychology | 8 | 8% | 23% |
| Sociology | 6 | 6% | 13% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 19 | 20% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 18 | 19% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 15 | 16% | — |
| English Literature | GCE AS level (All) | 15 | 16% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 10 | 11% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 8% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 6 | 6% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | 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.