Cheadle Hulme High School

Cheadle Hulme High School is an outstanding 11-18 secondary school where pupils achieve exceptionally well. Inspectors graded the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision all as outstanding, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since December 2014 and its first since the COVID-19 pandemic; it is part of The Laurus Trust and has not been given an overall effectiveness grade because schools inspected from September 2024 are no longer awarded one. The report describes a highly aspirational, inclusive school with a rich and ambitious curriculum, expert teaching, strong support for pupils with SEND, and reading woven through all subjects. Pupils behave excellently, are happy and respectful, and benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips, leadership opportunities and a meticulously constructed careers programme. Sixth-form students achieve exceptionally well and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leadership is a strength, governance is astute, and staff feel valued and well supported. No significant weaknesses are identified in the report. The only developmental note is that the school is continuing to develop pupils who can advocate for themselves and respectfully challenge others.

Strengths

• Rich and ambitious curriculum delivered expertly across subjects
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve exceptionally well
• Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Reading is prioritised and skilfully woven through the curriculum
• Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary
• Strong personal development offer built around the four cornerstones
• Meticulously constructed careers programme helps pupils make ambitious choices
• Wide range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities
• Sixth-form students achieve exceptionally well and are excellent role models
• Outstanding leadership and governance with strong trust collaboration
• Staff feel valued and benefit from well-established professional development
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Cheadle Hulme High School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 12.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.8% of pupils at Cheadle Hulme High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Cheadle Hulme High School had 15.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.7% of pupils at Cheadle Hulme High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Cheadle Hulme High School received £7,795 and spent £7,541 for each of its 1,694 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £695,000 (£410 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Laurus Trust, income was £8,057 and spending £7,826 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cheadle · Stockport local authority: places and applications

Cheadle Hulme High School is part of The Laurus Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Cheadle Hulme Primary School Stockport
• Laurus Cheadle Hulme Cheadle
• Woodford Primary School Stockport
• Hazel Grove High School Stockport
• Hazel Grove Primary School Stockport
• Gorsey Bank Primary School Wilmslow
• Norris Bank Primary School Stockport
• Priestnall School Stockport
• Didsbury High School Manchester
• Crown Street Primary School Manchester

What is Cheadle Hulme High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cheadle Hulme High School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Cheadle Hulme High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cheadle Hulme High School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Cheadle Hulme High School have?

Cheadle Hulme High School has 1,690 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cheadle Hulme High School cover?

Cheadle Hulme High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Cheadle Hulme High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.3, and 76% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cheadle Hulme High School?

Cheadle Hulme High School is at Woods Lane, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 7JY.