New research ranks Cheshire among smartest regions in the UK

Oxford Summer School have analysed new data from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) to discover which areas in the UK achieved the highest average results for core GCSE subjects in 2021.

Examining the percentage of Grade 9 qualifications in English Literature, Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, they compiled an overall average score with which to rank each region.

Overall results place Cheshire sixth in the table

Cheshire's overall score of 16.2% was well above the UK average of 11.8% and placed the area sixth behind the Isle of Wight, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, Tyne and Wear and Greater Manchester, who were top with 17.7%.

Science results in the county were also strong

When measuring only the science subjects, Cheshire finished fifth. When looking at the maths results the region did equally well, coming fifth again, however in English Literature they dropped to tenth place.

A spokesperson for Oxford Summer School said: "This data offers a compelling insight into which areas of the UK are dominating academically, both across the board and in specific subjects such as English Literature and Language and the Sciences.

"Cheshire has some of the finest education on offer in the UK, and the county’s academic prowess is clear in the stellar exam results of its students. Similarly, the outstanding results in places such as Greater Manchester and Tyne and Wear show that the areas are leagues ahead of the rest of the UK when it comes to academic success, and it will be interesting to see if this region is doing anything differently when it comes to preparing students for their exams."

Further information can be found at Oxford Summer School.