Cheshire East
Sandbach School
GCSE results 2026: every Cheshire East school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 45.9 is close to the national average of around 46.
- 45.9
- Attainment 8
- 42%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.28
- Progress 8
- [0.11, 0.45]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 236 | 253 | 232 (92%) | 403 |
| September 2025 | 232 | 227 | 227 (100%) | 348 |
| September 2024 | 221 | 218 | 218 (100%) | 353 |
| September 2023 | 240 | 276 | 240 (87%) | 398 |
| September 2022 | 242 | 230 | 227 (99%) | 354 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Cheshire East’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 111 | Not published | Not published | 23% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 109 | Not published | Not published | 26% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 89 | 0% England 1% | 17% England 18% | 22% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 107 | 0% England 1% | 22% England 15% | 22% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 122 | 1% England 1% | 20% England 16% | 22% England 18% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 105 | 0% England 1% | 14% England 14% | 23% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 260 | 45.9 | — | 41.5% | 11.9% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 232 | 48.2 | — | 49.6% | — | 17.2% | 4.0 |
| 2023/2024 | 264 | 47.7 | +0.28 | 48.1% | — | 11.0% | 3.9 |
| 2022/2023 | 230 | 48.7 | -0.03 | 48.7% | — | 22.6% | 4.1 |
| 2021/2022 | 220 | 49.6 | -0.09 | — | — | 20.0% | 4.1 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Cheshire East for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 137491 |
| Local authority | Cheshire East |
| Region | North West |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Free schools |
| Gender of entry | Boys |
| Age range | 11-19 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher Sarah Burns |
| Trust | SANDBACH SCHOOL |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | CW11 3NS |
| Pupils | 1,499 |
| FSM eligible | 14.1% |
Contact and identifiers
Crewe Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 3NS
http://sandbachschool.org/1270758870| DfE number | 6010 |
| UKPRN | 10024776 |
| Opened | 1 Sept 2011 |
| GIAS updated | 5 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 5 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | 14 May 2025 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | S5 Inspection |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 18 Mar 2025 |
| Publication date | 14 May 2025 |