The four Cheshire schools named among the North West's best
The latest survey of the country’s top schools is out
Students at The King's School Chester celebrate their GCSE results
Four Cheshire schools have been named among the region's best. It comes as the UK’s highest-achieving primary and secondary schools are revealed in the 33rd edition of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026.
Widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s top schools, the guide was published online at 7am today (Friday, December 5) and will be available in print in a 28-page supplement on Sunday. The guide includes a fully searchable national database of more than 2,000 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode.
As well as an assessment of academic results on a school-by-school basis, Parent Power enables parents to compare the performance of a given school with other schools in the same area, local authority or nationally. The 2026 guide sees The King's School and The Queen's School, both Chester, and The King's School in Macclesfield make the top 10 secondary independent schools in the North West.
Delamere C of E Primary Academy in Tarporley has also been named in the top 10 primary schools in the North West. The school ranked 100th overall nationally. Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, said: "The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future.
"But there is also so much to celebrate from the dedication of teachers who are finding ever more innovative and impactful ways to enrich their students and give them the very best start in life. As well as celebrating the academic excellence of the top schools it is uplifting to see how they are shaping their students to be ready for the 21st century, and instilling a lifelong love of learning."