In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Schools and nurseries16969 primary · 13 secondary · 76 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1168%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths50%Attainment 8 48.7, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary25%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school14%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Warrington
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Warrington
Warrington is a unitary authority in the North West with 69 mainstream primary schools and 13 mainstream secondary schools. Towns with the most schools include Warrington, Lymm and Culcheth. 88.9% got their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in Warrington
In Warrington you can list three schools on your application, and the council advises ranking all three in order of preference. Source
Warrington may place a child at the next nearest school to home that has a place available. Source
Warrington's online primary application asks for your Council Tax account reference number, which is on your council tax bill. Source
Warrington faith schools use their own supplementary form, sent directly to the school, to help decide which oversubscription criteria apply to your child. Source
Warrington's maintained nurseries usually take children for three terms in the year before reception, and some schools accept children from age 2. Source
For in-year school moves, Warrington runs the application for all its schools except Kings Leadership Academy, which you must contact directly. Source
From Warrington council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
91.9%got their first-choice primary school in Warrington in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 93 of 151 councils. 98.3% got one of their top three.1.1% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
88.9%got their first-choice secondary school in Warrington in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 52 of 151 councils. 98.2% got one of their top three.3.3% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
10 of 26 primary appeals heard in Warrington succeeded in 2025. 12 of 63 secondary appeals heard in Warrington succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Warrington
WarringtonEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 51 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
10 of the 10 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
68%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
50%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
14%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
25%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 68 schools that have one.
100%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding7
Good61
Requires improvement0
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Warrington in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1168% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths50% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school14% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Warrington
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
100%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
68%
62%
Attainment 8
48.7
46.2
Persistent absence
14%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.1:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,628
£8,120
In education or work after 16
92%
91%
Went on to higher education
40%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
20%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
17%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
24%
27%
DfE local authority code 877, ONS code E06000007.
Living here
What it's like for families
Warrington has 169 schools and nurseries across 3 towns and villages, the biggest being Warrington, Lymm and Culcheth.
There are 2% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.
25% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Warrington's state schools each January.
32.2k2018
32.3k2019
32.3k2021
32.8k2022
33.3k2023
33.4k2024
33.1k2025
32.8k2026
Up 2% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Warrington25%
Keep up with schools in Warrington
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Warrington has 169 schools, including 75 primary schools, 22 secondary schools, 76 nurseries, 4 independent schools, 9 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Warrington?+
The highest-ranked schools in Warrington on Eduscope are Grappenhall Heys Community Primary School, St Philip (Westbrook) CofE Primary School, Evelyn Street Primary Academy and Nursery. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Warrington are rated Good or Outstanding?+
100% of inspected schools in Warrington hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 7 schools rated Outstanding and 61 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Warrington perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Warrington, 68% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Warrington?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Warrington is 18.1:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Warrington schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Warrington is 14.4%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Warrington?+
There are 32,787 pupils enrolled across schools in Warrington, with 17,835 in primary and 14,850 in secondary. 24.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Warrington?+
There are 4 independent schools in Warrington, all special schools for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare them on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.
How do I choose the right school in Warrington?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 169 schools in Warrington by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
