Schools and colleges

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 for  disabled students.

Colleges

A 21st century university with 200-year-old roots, the University of Gloucestershire has been consistently ranked as one of the greenest universities in the country.  The university currently has a student accommodation village in Cheltenham and three fantastic campuses including the lovely Park campus which is the heart of the university and will now include all the creative and media faculties, building on the tradition of the famous Cheltenham School of Art founded in 1852 and including the stunning Media Centre with animation suite, radio, film and TV studios.

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.

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.  National Star is also in the delicious food business with the fabulous Star Bistro at Ullenwood.

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 outstanding 11-18 comprehensive school, open to the whole community and serving the east of Cheltenham. Balcarras’ sister school the High School Leckhampton opened in 2021 and has also achieved an outstanding rating already.
  • 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.
  • All Saints Academy is a Christian academy based in a stunning new building in the west of Cheltenham. It has 900 places for 11-16 year olds and a 250 place sixth form offering academic and vocational courses for 16-19 year olds
  • Pate’s Grammar School is Cheltenham’s oldest school, dating back to its foundation by Richard Pate 1547.  It is an outstanding selective secondary school for 11-18 year olds, drawing pupils from a wide geographical area.
  • Pittville School is a popular 11-16 comprehensive school in the north of Cheltenham, open to the whole community.

Cheltenham pupils also attend secondary schools outside Cheltenham constituency including excellent 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 for girls and the Crypt School and Sir Thomas Rich’s School for boys.  All four admit both boys and girls at sixth form.

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

Special schools

Cheltenham’s exceptional tradition in education now includes a number of schools 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.
  • The Ridge Academy is Gloucestershire’s school for primary-age children with particular emotional, social and behavioural challenges
  • 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 dozens of state primary and infants schools, enjoying excellent reputations and strong community links.  They are listed on this Ofsted webpage.

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