Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College
Melbourne Road, Chester, CH1 5JH
651 pupils · 87% of 750 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Foundation school
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- Blacon High School Trust
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Free school meals
- 48.5%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Needs attention |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 12 May 2026, published 24 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 33.2 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 17.3% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 36.8% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 8.3% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Roughly one first choice per place — 0.95 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 78 | 74 | 98 | 75 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 118 | 118 | 145 | 118 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 112 | 111 | 136 | 112 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 146 | 150 | 176 | 146 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 150 | 162 | 185 | 150 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 135 | 134 | 157 | 135 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 145 | 148 | 173 | 145 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 149 | 147 | 178 | 148 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Chester International School 3.9 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Queen's Park High School 3.9 km · No overall grade (2025)
- The Catholic High School, Chester 4.1 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- Upton-by-Chester High School 4.5 km · Standards maintained (2025)
- The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School 5.1 km · Good (2019) · previous system
- The Whitby High School 6.8 km · Good (2022) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.