Bishop Heber High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,293 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.8
Studio schools
Chester International School
- Pupils on roll
- 229of 320 places
- Free school meals
- 34.0%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 77
- Ofsted
- Good, 8 February 2022Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 81 pupils who finished Year 11 at Chester International School in 2023, 51% stayed on in Chester International School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 23% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 36 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 31% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 9% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 34.5 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 23% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Media Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 31% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.
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 | Chester International School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 81 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 75% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 51% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 23% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 6% | 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 | Chester International School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 36 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 67% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 31% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 9% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 22% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Chester International School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 34.5 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 23% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 43% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 49% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.22 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 36% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.4 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 35.6 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 8% | 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 | 77 | 100% | 89% | 5% | 20% | 47% |
| Mathematics | 77 | 100% | 88% | 6% | 22% | 53% |
| English Literature | 74 | 96% | 86% | 4% | 21% | 45% |
| Combined Science | 64 | 83% | 65% | 2% | 9% | 41% |
| History | 38 | 49% | 41% | 5% | 26% | 45% |
| Spanish | 26 | 34% | 19% | 23% | 27% | 62% |
| Media Studies | 24 | 31% | 4% | 13% | 20% | 46% |
| Fine Art | 23 | 30% | 9% | 4% | 28% | 52% |
| Geography | 22 | 29% | 41% | 9% | 25% | 41% |
| Computer Science | 17 | 22% | 13% | 6% | 30% | 35% |
| Business Studies | 17 | 22% | 18% | 0% | 20% | 24% |
| Photography | 17 | 22% | 6% | 6% | 19% | 71% |
| Drama | 16 | 21% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 38% |
| French | 14 | 18% | 18% | 0% | 29% | 43% |
| Music | 12 | 16% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 8% |
| Biology | 9 | 12% | 23% | 11% | 45% | 78% |
| Physics | 8 | 10% | 23% | 13% | 46% | 88% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 9% | 23% | 14% | 47% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 1 | 1% | 31% | — | 32% | — |
| Polish | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| German | 1 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
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
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.