What schools serve Macclesfield?

There are 39 schools in Macclesfield, Cheshire East, including Dean Valley Community Primary School, Rainow Primary School, Bollington Cross CofE Primary School, Chelford CofE Primary School, Bollington St John's CofE Primary School and more. You can view each school's catchment area guidance and admissions policy on catchment.school.

How many primary and secondary schools are in Macclesfield?

Macclesfield has 29 primary schools and 4 secondary schools. There are also 6 other schools (such as all-through or special schools) in the area. All data is sourced from the Department for Education's GIAS register.

How do I find out if my address is in a school's catchment area in Macclesfield?

To check whether your address falls within a school's catchment area in Macclesfield, use the postcode search tool at catchment.school. Catchment area boundaries for Macclesfield schools are set by Cheshire East and reviewed each year. You can also consult the school's admissions policy or contact the Cheshire East admissions team directly for the most up-to-date boundary maps.

Schools in Macclesfield

Q: Who sets catchment area boundaries for schools in Macclesfield?

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Macclesfield are set by Cheshire East as the admissions authority. Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the council's published admissions policy, while academies and voluntary-aided schools may set their own. Boundaries are reviewed annually and published each September for the following academic year.

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Macclesfield has 39 schools, with 29 primaries and 4 secondary schools administered primarily by Cheshire East Council. The town includes a range of community schools, Church of England primaries and one Catholic secondary (St John Fisher). Cheshire East uses straight-line distance as the main tiebreaker after looked-after children and siblings - popular primaries in the town centre and Tytherington areas can be competitive.

Secondary admissions in Macclesfield are non-selective; Macclesfield Academy, The Fallibroome Academy and Tytherington School each draw from across the town. Families on the Staffordshire border should check whether their address falls under Cheshire East or Staffordshire Moorlands, as the boundary affects both the secondary school and the coordinating authority for the admissions round.

School demand in Macclesfield

Across the 37 schools in Macclesfield with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 91%. 12 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.

15 schools in Macclesfield have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.

22 of the schools in Macclesfield are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Cheshire East, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.

11 of the schools in Macclesfield have a current Ofsted rating, of which 10 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.

Primary schools in Macclesfield: 7 oversubscribed (29)

Dean Valley Community Primary School

Primary · Community school

Macclesfield · SK10 5HS

Ages 4-11 197 pupils Capacity 210

Rainow Primary School

Primary · Community school

Macclesfield · SK10 5UB

Ages 4-11 187 pupils Capacity 189

Bollington Cross CofE Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Macclesfield · SK10 5EG

Ages 5-11 188 pupils Capacity 210

Chelford CofE Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Macclesfield · SK11 9AY

Ages 4-11 72 pupils Capacity 90