School Chooser

The Chase

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy1,449 pupilsSixth formMalvernWorcestershire
School Chooser Score
55
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 45 to 65
Out of 100. Better than 58% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Strong pass in English and maths52%England 46%
Attendance91.4%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend84%190 Parent View responses
Places230 spare1,449 pupils, 1,679 places

The Chase is a converter academy in Malvern for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,449 pupils and room for 1,679. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 55 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 58% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Geraldine Road, Malvern, WR14 3NZ01684 891961chase.worcs.sch.ukMr M J Fieldhouse headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 20 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Needs attention
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
19 October 2021Section 8 inspection of good and outstanding schoolsGood

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

237 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score51.9
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths52%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths76%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11+0.08In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 51.151.120182019: 52.952.920192022: 53.653.620222023: 49.449.420232024: 50.950.920242025: 51.951.92025
Since 2018: +0.8Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018WorcestershireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11237214174182214227
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 851.950.949.453.652.951.144.546.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8+0.08+0.06+0.05+0.05+0.12
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths52%53%45%51%52%53%41%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths76%72%71%74%72%70%64%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.674.554.374.854.654.503.934.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry40%37%35%43%29%31%39%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged36.533.634.742.133.036.4
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged54.554.952.456.056.354.1
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.225.033.723.323.4
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers69.565.870.064.364.7

Subjects

Results came out for 20 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.

Strongest subjects

Religious Studies85%grades 9 to 5, England 60% · 198th of 1,825 schools
Biology98%grades 9 to 5, England 82% · 426th of 2,570 schools
Chemistry97%grades 9 to 5, England 81% · 657th of 2,537 schools
Combined Science50%grades 9 to 5, England 36% · 567th of 3,084 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (45% here, 56% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics231 entries · 4th of 31 in Worcestershire
61%England 53%
English Literature228 entries · 6th of 31 in Worcestershire
64%England 58%
English Language228 entries · 3rd of 31 in Worcestershire
64%England 54%
Combined Science170 entries · 5th of 31 in Worcestershire
50%England 36%
Geography137 entries · 7th of 30 in Worcestershire
61%England 51%
History132 entries · 3rd of 30 in Worcestershire
63%England 52%
Art and Design86 entries · 8th of 28 in Worcestershire
67%England 58%
Physical Education83 entries · 13th of 18 in Worcestershire
45%England 56%
Computer Science77 entries · 8th of 18 in Worcestershire
60%England 56%
Food Preparation & Nutrition66 entries · 9th of 18 in Worcestershire
53%England 52%
Spanish61 entries · 3rd of 13 in Worcestershire
66%England 54%
Physics58 entries · 3rd of 25 in Worcestershire
95%England 82%
Chemistry58 entries · 4th of 25 in Worcestershire
97%England 81%
Biology58 entries · 3rd of 26 in Worcestershire
98%England 82%
French52 entries · 4th of 23 in Worcestershire
73%England 60%
Religious Studies41 entries · 1st of 15 in Worcestershire
85%England 60%
Other Sciences34 entries · 1st of 1 in Worcestershire
77%England 67%
Design & Technology25 entries · 6th of 14 in Worcestershire
48%England 50%
Music14 entries
79%England 61%
Drama12 entries
67%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics23123%61%83%53%901 of 3,211
English Literature22824%64%84%58%972 of 3,202
English Language22824%64%81%54%737 of 3,210
Combined Science17012%50%78%36%567 of 3,084
Geography13729%61%71%51%798 of 3,116
History13234%63%76%52%795 of 3,126
Art and Design8630%67%78%58%986 of 2,818
Physical Education8313%45%63%56%1,072 of 1,559
Computer Science7731%60%69%56%773 of 1,861
Food Preparation & Nutrition6612%53%73%52%526 of 1,098
Spanish6130%66%79%54%603 of 1,941
Physics5862%95%98%82%809 of 2,546
Chemistry5855%97%100%81%657 of 2,537
Biology5853%98%100%82%426 of 2,570
French5237%73%83%60%605 of 1,974
Religious Studies4149%85%90%60%198 of 1,825
Other Sciences3465%77%91%67%17 of 34
Design & Technology2516%48%60%50%741 of 1,478
Music1436%79%86%61%
Drama128%67%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

94 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB-36.5 points per entry
A level progress+0.10Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better8%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished97%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students94137141133258225
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry36.4535.1837.1340.9937.1032.53
Average A level gradeB-B-B-BB-C+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS34.3634.6136.9840.8737.4034.34
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects8%21%16%27%29%12%
A level progressA level value added+0.10+0.05+0.38+0.29
Applied general courses: points per entry36.1533.2330.3434.52
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed97%92%97%96%89%86%

A level subjects

18 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Economics90%A* to B, England 57% · 10 entries
Mathematics91%A* to B, England 60% · 22 entries
Geography77%A* to B, England 51% · 13 entries
Sociology74%A* to B, England 49% · 19 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology23Mathematics22Sociology19Biology16Chemistry15History15Computer Science14Business Studies13Geography13Physics13Economics10English Literature10Art and Design9Film Studies9English Language8Government and Politics6Mathematics (Further)6Religious Studies6
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology23 entries · 26% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 46%
Mathematics22 entries · 36% A* or A · 100% passed
91%England 60%
Sociology19 entries · 42% A* or A · 100% passed
74%England 49%
Biology16 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 49%
Chemistry15 entries · 13% A* or A · 100% passed
40%England 53%
History15 entries · 27% A* or A · 100% passed
80%England 55%
Computer Science14 entries · 14% A* or A · 93% passed
14%England 46%
Business Studies13 entries · 15% A* or A · 92% passed
46%England 47%
Geography13 entries · 23% A* or A · 100% passed
77%England 51%
Physics13 entries · 8% A* or A · 100% passed
39%England 51%
Economics10 entries · 30% A* or A · 100% passed
90%England 57%
English Literature10 entries · 30% A* or A · 100% passed
60%England 52%
Art and Design9 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
44%England 60%
Film Studies9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
67%England 57%
English Language8 entries · 38% A* or A · 100% passed
75%England 44%
Government and Politics6 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 55%
Mathematics (Further)6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 76%
Religious Studies6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 50%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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. None of the gaps is 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

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
36.554.5
Gap 18.0England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
24%56%
Gap 33 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
49.154.6
Gap 5.5England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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.

Plenty of spare places1,406 pupils for 1,783 places, 2024/25
79% full

377 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place.

EntryPlacesHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary240all offeredLA
2025 Secondary24018.6 milesLA
2024 Secondary2404.2 milesLA
2023 Secondary2402.2 miles (catchment area)LA
2022 Secondary2404.0 miles (catchment area)LA
2021 Secondary2405.1 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2020 Secondary2407.8 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What parents say

Would recommend the school84%England 77%
My child is happy here78%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe85%
Positive overall76%
My child is happy at this school
78%England 75%
My child feels safe at this school
85%England 79%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
80%England 71%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
15% yesEngland 26%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
39%England 48%
My child gets the right support to learn well
73%England 71%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
24% yesEngland 31%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
48%England 58%
The school communicates well with me
74%England 71%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
63%England 58%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
72%England 67%
I would recommend this school
84%England 77%
Overall view of the school is positive
76%England 67%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 190 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.

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.

Pupils on roll1,449Census January 2026
Places1,67986% full
Pupils from low-income families18%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%250 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%40 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.057 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils4%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£264,000 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls720 / 729
White British pupils83%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school), for pupils with special educational needs.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (88), Specific learning difficulty (63), language and communications needs (48), Moderate learning difficulty (36), Autistic spectrum disorder (29), Other difficulty or disability (6).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,4491,4071,4081,3701,3291,291
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%16%15%15%13%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%5%5%4%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%14%12%12%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance91.4%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.2%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils11.32024/25, 3 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.6%9.0%8.6%9.6%4.6%5.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence6.6%6.9%6.8%7.7%3.8%4.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%2.2%1.8%1.9%0.8%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.2%24.9%23.3%28.7%10.7%14.1%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate11.37.711.110.08.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions34555

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 174 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training94%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 87%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training94%91%92%97%
Education90%85%85%95%
Apprenticeship3%3%1%1%
Work1%4%5%2%
Not in education, work or training4%7%5%2%

After sixth form

Where the 137 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training83%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 100%, compared with 81% for everyone else.

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training75%England 72%
Top-third universities34%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship5%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 71% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training83%89%93%
Education37%47%54%
Apprenticeship5%6%6%3%
Work41%35%34%
Not in education, work or training12%11%4%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers77.8full-time equivalent, 86 people
Pupils per teacher18.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,194
Teachers who left in the year7%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.92024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£7,211England £7,965. Total £10m
Income per pupil£7,262England £8,423. Total £10m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,278England £4,444
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £649k, £461 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£72kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,211spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m7112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate46 per 1,000 people50% lower than the England average
Typical house price£325,000Malvern Hills
Nearest bus stop110 mChase High School, 14 stops within 500 m

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.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Dyson Perrins CofE AcademyAcademy2.3 miles592Good 202342Compare
Hanley Castle High SchoolAcademy3.7 miles1,142Good 202355Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Chase with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats58%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 55 is 4 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 50 · highest 92100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 55 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 55% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 45 to 65. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%above
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 237 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.13
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.02
DfE progress measure; 237 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 1,243 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 237 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
174 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.02
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 190 responses

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 The Chase a good school?

It is about average. The Chase scores 55 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 58% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 45 to 65, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is The Chase's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 20 January 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as as expected.

How good are The Chase's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 52% 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 51.9, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does The Chase have?

1,449 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,679 places, so it is 86% full.

Is The Chase oversubscribed?

Probably not. 377 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Chase?

Pupils were in school 91.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about The Chase?

84% of the 190 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 78% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at The Chase?

The average class had 23.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 4% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Chase have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 18 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Geraldine Road, Malvern, WR14 3NZ
Telephone
01684 891961
Website
www.chase.worcs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr M J Fieldhouse
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Single-academy trust
The Chase School (1 schools)
Local authority
Worcestershire
Ward
Barnards Green
Constituency
West Worcestershire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2011 (academy converter)
URN
137625 · LAESTAB 8854028 · UKPRN 10035755
Formerly
The Chase

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from