Schools by area › Cheshire West and Chester › The Winsford Academy
The Winsford Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Sponsored academy
Grange Lane, Winsford CW7 2BT · winsford.academy · 01606 592300
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Jul 2025
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 30.6
- average Attainment 8 score. Cheshire West and Chester 44.6, England 46
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Year 7, September 2026 entry · Cheshire West and Chester Council
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 945
- 72% of 1,312 places
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 43%
- First language not English
- 4.9%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Halliard Trust
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Cheshire West and Chester Council’s document.
For Year 7 in September 2026, 106 families put the school first and 130 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 130 | 106 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 147 | 144 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 171 | 156 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 252 | 214 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 240 | 260 | 1.1▲ | 90% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 30.6, and 13.7% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Cheshire West and Chester it was 44.6, and across England 46.
In 2015/16 the average A level result was grade D- (15.5 points per entry).
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼30.6 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼13.7% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼28.9% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼13.7% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼2.54 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 2.1 | +1.6 |
| Sixth form college | 4.6 | −5.5 |
| Further education | 72.7 | +16.9 |
| Other education | 1 | +0.5 |
| Apprenticeship | 4.1 | −1.2 |
| Employment | 2.1 | −6.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 10.3 | −5.1 |
| Activity not captured | 3.1 | −1.2 |
A levels and other 16 to 18 results
| 2015/16 | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| A level | 50 | D- (15.5) | -0.30 |
| All academic | 53 | D- (15.1) | -0.33 |
| Applied general | 30 | — | -0.87 |
Where sixth-form leavers went
Left in 2015/16
| University | 26 |
|---|---|
| Further education | 7 |
| Apprenticeship | 10 |
| Employment | 41 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 8 |
| Activity not captured | 8 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected The Winsford Academy on 15 July 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 15 Jul 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Inadequate |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Inadequate |
| Personal development | Requires improvement |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Nov 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
- Jul 2024Monitoring visitEffective action
- Nov 2023Monitoring visitEffective action
Nov 2022Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
May 2016Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Jan 2014Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement
What parents said
56% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (169 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 56%
- Replies
- 169
- 17% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 85% who raised concerns
based on the 53% who had a child bullied
based on 66 parents (39%) with SEND