The Catholic High School, Chester
About The Catholic High School, Chester
The Catholic High School, Chester, is a Roman Catholic secondary school that is clearly in demand among local families. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 223 applications for just 106 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.1 applicants per place. Of those, 96 were first-preference applications, and the school was able to offer places to all of them. The school currently has 808 pupils on roll against a total capacity of 1,117, meaning there is some headroom in the upper years, but the Year 7 intake is clearly competitive. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 21.1%, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a relatively diverse socioeconomic catchment. As a voluntary-aided Catholic school, its admissions policy will prioritise children from practising Catholic families, so it is worth checking the precise oversubscription criteria if your child does not meet that faith requirement.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 Dec 2021Latest monitoring visit (1 Dec 2021): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 13 Oct 2011. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:00
Source: christofidelis.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Catholic High School, Chester
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
School Admissions Timeline 2026/27
Key dates for primary, secondary and nursery applications