A SCHOOL in Northwich has been named as one of the top five independent secondary schools in the North West for the second year in a row.

The Grange School, in Bradburns Lane, has once again appeared in The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2024, which has published online today and will appear in print on Sunday, December 3.

In what is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the UK's top schools, the highest-achieving institutions are ranked in the 31st edition by the first true set of post-pandemic exam results.

Having broken into the top five list for independent schools in 2023, The Grange once again ranks highly, sitting fifth in the North West and 134th nationally.

Dr Lorraine Earps, the head of The Grange School, praised students and staff for their dedication towards creating a wonderful environment that continues to achieve academic excellence.

She said: "It is very rewarding for both staff and students when the immense hard work, commitment, resilience and passion that’s evident every day, in every classroom, and throughout every lesson, activity, performance and trip, is reflected in our external exam results.

"It is testament to our modern, forward-thinking approach that our students achieve the all-important balance of great exam results with their growth as individuals to become the very best version of themselves and are equipped to realise their potential in all aspects of their lives."

As well as an assessment of all academic results on a school-by-school basis, Parent Power enables parents to compare the performance of a given school with other schools in the same town, local authority or nationally. 

Helen Davies, editor of Parent Power, said: “The educational landscape continues to be challenging across both the state and independent sectors, and this is the first true assessment of post-pandemic exam results.

"We believe these rankings – and all the additional information on offer in Parent Power – provide parents with a more reliable guide to academic achievement in schools today. 

"The guide showcases academic excellence but also celebrates schools who may not be right at the top but are rising, innovating and helping pupils flourish.

"Being a teenager is hard enough, and the past few years since Covid have made life even harder.

"It is heartening to highlight the achievements of so many students and schools across the UK. 

“This year Parent Power includes details on extracurricular clubs, wellbeing initiatives and school lunch menus – chicken katsu seems to be the dish of the day."