colleges | secondary schools | special schools | primary & infant schools

 Cheltenham has a great educational tradition which continues today with some of the finest schools in the country, an important new university and an innovative further education college – both shared with Gloucester – and the unique National Star College.

 Colleges

A new university with 200-year-old roots, the University of Gloucestershire, has been ranked the greenest university in the country.  The university has three campuses in Cheltenham:

• The lovely Park campus is the heart of the university and includes the Business School with its unique specialisms in areas like family business and corporate responsibility
• Francis Close Hall in St.Paul’s dates back to the first college’s foundation in 1847 and is the centre of the university’s environmental and humanities disciplines
• Pittville Studios is the creative, media and arts hub of the university and includes the Summerfield Gallery.

 Gloucestershire College is an innovative, successful further education college which offers GCSEs, A levels, professional qualifications, degree foundation courses and a wide variety of other full and part-time courses.  Its Cheltenham campus is a dramatic purpose-built building on Princess Elizabeth Way, home to the Renaissance Restaurant.

 The extraordinary National Star College has a residential base in Cheltenham but its main campus is at nearby Ullenwood.  An independent specialist college, it offers life-changing education for students with complex disabilities.

 Secondary schools

Cheltenham boasts an extraordinary record in secondary education with some of the very best schools in the country in the state comprehensive, selective and private sectors: 

• Balcarras School in Charlton Kings is an 11-18 comprehensive school with technology college status, open to the whole community and serving the east of Cheltenham.
• Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre in the south of Cheltenham is an 11-18 comprehensive open to the whole community with a sixth form centre of 450 pupils drawn from across Cheltenham.
• Christ College is a joint faith school open principally to Christian families, which is combining with community comprehensive Cheltenham Kingsmead School in 2011 to form the new All Saints Academy.
• Pate’s Grammar School is Cheltenham’s oldest school, dating back to its foundation by Richard Pate 1547.  It is a selective secondary school for 11-18 year olds, open to the whole community but selects from a wide catchment area.
• Pittville School is an 11-16 comprehensive school and specialist arts college in the north of Cheltenham, open to the whole community.

 Cheltenham pupils also attend secondary schools outside Cheltenham constituency including comprehensives like Cleeve School in Bishop’s Cleeve and Chosen Hill School in Churchdown and Gloucester’s four single-sex selective schools: the High School for Girls (Denmark Road) and Ribston Hall High School, the Crypt School and Sir Thomas Rich’s School.

Cheltenham Ladies College, Cheltenham College, Dean Close School and St. Edward’s are Cheltenham’s private secondary schools

Special schools

Some of Cheltenham’s most inspiring schools are those providing education for children facing real learning challenges:

• Belmont School is a state school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and other special needs, open to all ages from 4 to 16.
• Bettridge is a state specialist school for children with more severe learning difficulties, open to all ages from 4 to 19.
• St. George’s Centre and Rodney Road Centre (the two parts of the Cheltenham & Tewkesbury Pupil Referral Unit) support pupils who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream schools.
• Battledown Centre for Children & Families is a community special school and assessment centre for young children up to the age of 7.

 

Primary, Junior & Infant Schools

Cheltenham has 24 state primary and infants schools, enjoying excellent reputations and strong community links.  They are listed below.  For those without web links below, go to Schoolsnet and follow the link to Full School Profile:

• Arthur Dye Primary School
• Benhall Infant School
• Charlton Kings Infant School
• Charlton Kings Junior School
• Christ Church C of E Primary School
• Dunalley Primary School
• Gardners Lane Primary School
• Glenfall Community Primary School
• Greatfield Park Primary School
• Gloucester Road Primary School
• Hesters Way Primary School
• Holy Apostles C of E Primary School
• Holy Trinity C of E Primary School
• Lakeside Primary School
• Leckhampton C of E Primary School
• Naunton Park Primary School
• Oakwood Primary School
• Prestbury St.Mary’s Junior School
• Rowanfield Junior School
• Rowanfield Infant School
• St. James’ C of E Primary School
• St.John’s C of E Primary School
• St.Mark’s C of E Junior School
• St.Mary’s C of E Infant School
• St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School
• Swindon Village Primary School
• The Catholic School of St. Gregory the Great
• Warden Hill Primary School

Private primary and ‘prep’ schools include the Richard Pate School , Airthrie and Berkhampstead as well as the ‘preparatory’ and pre-preparatory schools attached to Dean Close, Cheltenham College and St. Edward’s.