Ellesmere Port Church of England College
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Ellesmere Port Church of England College is a sponsored academy in Ellesmere Port for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 777 pupils and room for 1,350. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 25 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
164 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6EA0151 350 6000epcollege.orgMrs Paula Phillips headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 March 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
82 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019† | 2018† | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 82 | 91 | 87 | 109 | 141 | 124 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 39.0 | 38.4 | 34.4 | 37.3 | 33.3 | 28.9 | 45.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.51 | -0.68 | -0.99 | -0.77 | -1.26 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 26% | 23% | 17% | 19% | 18% | 14% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 45% | 51% | 37% | 37% | 37% | 28% | 63% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.21 | 3.23 | 2.81 | 2.91 | 2.86 | 2.57 | 3.98 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 28% | 46% | 64% | 28% | 36% | 54% | 40% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 31.8 | 31.1 | 28.9 | 31.6 | 27.1 | 24.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 43.7 | 43.7 | 40.4 | 43.5 | 39.5 | 32.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 23.0 | 22.2 | 26.6 | 17.7 | 15.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 58.9 | 44.0 | 54.0 | 49.0 | 47.3 | – | – |
† These results are for University of Chester CE Academy, the school this one replaced in December 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Spanish (6% here, 54% across England), Computer Science (13% here, 56% across England), Music (24% here, 61% across England), Physics (49% here, 82% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 80 | 3% | 30% | 53% | 53% | 2,965 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 80 | 4% | 35% | 54% | 54% | 2,839 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 79 | 4% | 43% | 67% | 58% | 2,532 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 78 | 14% | 41% | 54% | 60% | 1,558 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 46 | 0% | 9% | 26% | 36% | 3,010 of 3,084 |
| History | 40 | 0% | 23% | 33% | 52% | 2,996 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 38 | 3% | 42% | 58% | 51% | 1,969 of 3,116 |
| Design & Technology | 35 | 20% | 49% | 83% | 50% | 729 of 1,478 |
| Chemistry | 33 | 6% | 61% | 82% | 81% | 2,179 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 33 | 9% | 64% | 79% | 82% | 2,170 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 33 | 3% | 49% | 76% | 82% | 2,391 of 2,546 |
| Art and Design | 23 | 4% | 35% | 74% | 58% | 2,404 of 2,818 |
| Music | 21 | 10% | 24% | 38% | 61% | 352 of 395 |
| Spanish | 16 | 0% | 6% | 25% | 54% | – |
| Computer Science | 15 | 7% | 13% | 27% | 56% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 8 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
| Drama | 6 | 0% | 33% | 83% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
21 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 21 | 49 | 32 | 39 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 20.00 | 20.77 | 17.73 | 22.35 |
| Average A level grade | D | D | D- | D+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | – | 23.33 | 20.74 | 13.89 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | – | 0% | 0% | 17% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.38 | -0.66 | – | – |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 26.88 | 27.16 | 28.61 | 32.20 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 83% | 67% | 69% | – |
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Anglican/Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
642 places were empty (48% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 20% since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cheshire West and Chester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (86), language and communications needs (18), Moderate learning difficulty (13), Other difficulty or disability (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), Specific learning difficulty (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 777 | 694 | 633 | 608 | 592 | 549 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 43% | 45% | 44% | 45% | 40% | 37% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 14% | 16% | 18% | 15% | 14% | 12% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 13% | 13% | 11% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.3% | 9.7% | 10.1% | 9.4% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.7% | 5.7% | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.4% | – | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.5% | 4.0% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | – | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 28.1% | 28.0% | 28.6% | 23.5% | 22.4% | 20.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 98.3 | 104.1 | 75.7 | 52.7 | 47.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 87 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 78%, compared with 86% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 82% | 84% | 91% | 90% |
| Education | 72% | 77% | 81% | 88% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 1% | 4% | 1% |
| Work | 9% | 6% | 7% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 11% | 13% | 6% | 8% |
After sixth form
Where the 25 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 82%, compared with 86% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 50% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 84% | 90% | 94% |
| Education | 52% | 55% | 52% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 3% |
| Work | 32% | 36% | 39% |
| Not in education, work or training | 12% | 7% | 3% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy | 830 m | 950 | Report card 2026 | 11 | Compare |
| The Whitby High School | Foundation | 1.0 miles | 1,398 | Good 2022 | 17 | Compare |
| South Wirral High School | Academy | 3.8 miles | 1,019 | Good 2022 | – | Compare |
| Upton-by-Chester High School | Foundation | 4.6 miles | 1,728 | Not inspected | 69 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Ellesmere Port Church of England College with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 25 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 25% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 35. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.19 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 82 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.17 | DfE progress measure; 82 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.12 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.12 | 2024/25; 706 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 82 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well below | -0.08 | 87 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Ellesmere Port Church of England College a good school?
The figures are weak. Ellesmere Port Church of England College scores 25 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 44% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 35, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Ellesmere Port Church of England College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Ellesmere Port Church of England College good at its last full inspection on 28 March 2023.
How good are Ellesmere Port Church of England College's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 26% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 39.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Ellesmere Port Church of England College have?
777 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,350 places, so it is 58% full.
Is Ellesmere Port Church of England College oversubscribed?
Probably not. 642 places were empty in 2024/25 (48% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Ellesmere Port Church of England College?
Pupils were in school 89.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Ellesmere Port Church of England College?
The average class had 22.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 21% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Ellesmere Port Church of England College have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- 164 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 6EA
- Telephone
- 0151 350 6000
- Website
- epcollege.org
- Headteacher
- Mrs Paula Phillips
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Anglican/Church of England
- Multi-academy trust
- Frank Field Education Trust (3 schools)
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Ward
- Central & Grange
- Constituency
- Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 December 2018 (fresh start)
- URN
- 146742 · LAESTAB 8964009 · UKPRN 10082090
- Formerly
- University of Chester CE Academy
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.