Cheltenham College
Bath Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7LD
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headmaster
- Mr Chris Townsend
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Cheltenham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,200
- Pupils on roll
- 1,134
- URN
- 115795
- Local authority
- Gloucestershire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01242265600
About this school
Cheltenham College is a Church of England independent school in Cheltenham. It teaches children aged 2 to 19 and has 1,134 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Cheltenham College under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Cheltenham College has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in July 1841, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 289 | 155 | 154 |
| Attainment 8 score | 15.7 | 31.4 | 21.4 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Cheltenham College has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Gloucestershire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 15.7 | 43.3 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 31.4 | 44.8 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 21.4 | 44.2 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,165 |
| 2023/24 | 1,174 |
| 2024/25 | 1,178 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 0
- Pupils on SEN support
- 203
Location
Nearby schools
-
Cheltenham Ladies' College0.4 miles
Independent schools · Cheltenham
-
Gloucestershire Hospital Education Service0.6 miles
Local authority maintained schools · Cheltenham
-
University of Gloucestershire0.6 miles
Universities · Cheltenham
-
Dean Close Airthrie0.7 miles
Independent schools · Cheltenham
-
St Edward's School0.8 miles
Independent schools · Cheltenham
Other schools in Cheltenham
- Ashley Manor Preparatory School Independent schools
- Berkhampstead School Independent schools
- Cheltenham Ladies' College Independent schools
- Dean Close Airthrie Independent schools
- Dean Close Preparatory School Independent schools
- Dean Close School Independent schools
- St Edward's School Independent schools
- The Richard Pate School Independent schools
- Andoversford Primary School Primary
- Benhall Infant School Primary
- Bishops Cleeve Primary Academy Primary
- Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Cheltenham College teach?
- Cheltenham College teaches children aged 2 to 19. It is an independent school in Cheltenham.
- Who is the headmaster of Cheltenham College?
- The headmaster of Cheltenham College is Mr Chris Townsend, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Cheltenham College been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Cheltenham College under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How many pupils are at Cheltenham College?
- Cheltenham College has 1,134 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 19.
- Is Cheltenham College full?
- Cheltenham College has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 1,134 on roll (95%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Cheltenham College a faith school?
- Yes. Cheltenham College is designated Church of England.
- Is Cheltenham College a selective school?
- Yes. Cheltenham College is recorded as Selective in the schools register, so entry involves selection.
- How have Cheltenham College's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 15.7 in 2022/23 and 21.4 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Cheltenham College's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Cheltenham College's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.