GeraLearn / School Resource Index / Cheshire East
Cheshire East School Class Sizes 2025/26
State-funded primary schools in Cheshire East average 26.7 pupils per class — larger than the England average of 26.2. Secondary: 21.6 pupils/class. Real DfE 2025/26 data (OGL v3.0).
How large are school classes in Cheshire East, and how does this compare to the England average?
In the 2025/26 academic year, state-funded primary schools in Cheshire East have an average class size of 26.7 pupils — 0.5 pupils above the England average of 26.2. Secondary schools average 21.6 (England: 22.6). Gera School Resource Index for Cheshire East: 101.4 / 100 (England mean 100). Source: DfE 2025/26 (OGL v3.0).
Gera School Resource Index
Cheshire East ranks #58 of 151 local authorities (England mean = 100). A score above 100 means smaller-than-average classes (more teacher time per pupil); below 100 means larger-than-average classes. Computed from real DfE 2025/26 class-size figures — see methodology.
How this is calculatedCheshire East vs England — class sizes 2025/26
| Measure | Cheshire East | England | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average primary class size | 26.7 | 26.2 | 0.5 above |
| Average secondary class size | 21.6 | 22.6 | 1.0 below ✓ |
| Primary pupils (total) | 27,177 | — | — |
| Secondary pupils (total) | 23,284 | — | — |
| Gera School Resource Index | 101.4 | 100 (mean) | Rank #58/151 |
Data: DfE state-funded schools, 2025/26 academic year. Primary: 1,019 classes. Secondary: 1,078 classes. Licensed OGL v3.0.
Check school class sizes for your area
Pick a local authority. We show the real DfE 2025/26 average primary and secondary class sizes, how they compare to England, and the Gera School Resource Index — computed from published data.
Primary schools
Avg class size: 26.7 (England 26.2)
0.5 above England average.
27,177 pupils · 1,019 classes
Secondary schools
Avg class size: 21.6 (England 22.6)
1.0 below England average.
23,284 pupils · 1,078 classes
Gera School Resource Index
101.4
England mean 100 · ranked #58 of 151 LAs
Smaller than average classes → more resource per pupil
Find courses designed for Cheshire East learners
Smaller classes mean more teacher time — but independent learning skills matter everywhere. Explore free and paid courses on GeraLearn that work alongside any class size.
Browse GeraLearn courses — free to startCheshire East school class sizes — FAQ
- What is the average primary school class size in Cheshire East?
- The average primary school class size in Cheshire East is 26.7 pupils per class in the 2025/26 academic year. The England average is 26.2 — so Cheshire East primary classes are larger than average. This covers 27,177 pupils in 1,019 classes across state-funded primary schools. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.
- What is the average secondary school class size in Cheshire East?
- Secondary school classes in Cheshire East average 21.6 pupils per class (England average: 22.6) in 2025/26. Classes are smaller than the England average. This covers 23,284 pupils in 1,078 classes. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.
- What is the Gera School Resource Index for Cheshire East?
- The Gera School Resource Index for Cheshire East is 101.4 — ranked #58 of 151 local authorities published. The index is centred at 100 (England mean). A score above 100 means smaller classes (more resource per pupil); below 100 means larger classes than the England average. The GSRI is computed from the real DfE 2025/26 class-size figures — see the methodology page for the exact formula.
- Why do class sizes vary so much between local authorities?
- Class sizes depend on local demographic trends (birth rate fluctuations), number of available schools and teachers, local authority budget decisions, and whether schools operate under- or over-capacity. Rural areas like Westmorland and Furness (GSRI 114.0) often have smaller schools with naturally smaller classes. Urban authorities with rapid population growth tend towards larger classes. Class sizes in England are regulated by the infant class size legislation (30-pupil limit for Key Stage 1) but secondary classes have no statutory cap. Real DfE data, OGL v3.0.
- How is the Gera School Resource Index calculated?
- The Gera School Resource Index uses two real DfE figures: average primary class size and average secondary class size, both for 2025/26. For each LA: pScore = round((England_primary_avg ÷ LA_primary) × 100, 1); sScore = round((England_secondary_avg ÷ LA_secondary) × 100, 1); GSRI = round((pScore + sScore) ÷ 2, 1). England averages are 26.2 (primary) and 22.6 (secondary), both pupil-weighted across all published LAs. Full methodology at https://geralearn.com/school-resource-index/methodology.
How the Gera School Resource Index is calculated for Cheshire East
The GSRI compares each local authority's average class sizes to the England pupil-weighted average, then averages the two ratios.
pScore = round((26.16 ÷ 26.67) × 100, 1) = 98.1
sScore = round((22.64 ÷ 21.6) × 100, 1) = 104.8
GSRI = round((98.1 + 104.8) ÷ 2, 1) = 101.4
A GSRI of 101.4 means Cheshire East has smaller-than-average classes — more direct teacher time per pupil than the England mean. Full methodology →
School class sizes in other North West local authorities
- Westmorland and FurnessGSRI 114
- CumberlandGSRI 111.8
- WirralGSRI 108.2
- HaltonGSRI 103.9
- Cheshire West and ChesterGSRI 103.4
- LiverpoolGSRI 103.2
- KnowsleyGSRI 101.2
- St. HelensGSRI 101
- BlackpoolGSRI 100
- ManchesterGSRI 99.9
- SeftonGSRI 99.3
- StockportGSRI 99.1
See all 151 local authorities ranked by the Gera School Resource Index →
Source: DfE — Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26. Figures are for state-funded schools, 2025/26 academic year. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The Gera School Resource Index for Cheshire East is computed by GeraLearn from these figures; no number is modelled, interpolated or estimated.