Standing view · skills · Cheshire West and Chester
deteriorating, held with established confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2024/2025.
The share of Cheshire West and Chester pupils reaching grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths fell from 63.6% in 2023/24 to 62.8% in 2024/25. Attainment at grade 5 or above fell from 43.5% to 42.4% over the same years. Both measures fell in both years, which is a consistent direction across two academic years rather than a single year's movement. The falls themselves are small, roughly one percentage point on each measure, so this is a drift rather than a sharp decline.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Cheshire West and Chester. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2023/2024 | deteriorating |
| GCSE grade 5+ in English and maths | 2023/2024 | deteriorating |
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | deteriorating |
| GCSE grade 5+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | deteriorating |