Dean Close School
Shelburne Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6HE
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 12 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England/Evangelical
- Headteacher
- Mrs A E Harber
- Religious ethos
- Church of England
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Constituency
- Cheltenham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 535
- Pupils on roll
- 488
- URN
- 115797
- Local authority
- Gloucestershire
- Telephone
- 01242258000
About this school
Dean Close School is an independent school in Cheltenham. It teaches children aged 12 to 19 and has 488 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Dean Close School 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
Dean Close School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1911, 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 | 99 | 101 | 115 |
| Attainment 8 score | 16.6 | 17.5 | 29.4 |
| 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 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.7 |
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 Dean Close School 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 | 16.6 | 43.3 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 17.5 | 44.8 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 29.4 | 44.2 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 502 |
| 2023/24 | 519 |
| 2024/25 | 499 |
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
- 142
Location
Nearby schools
-
Dean Close Preparatory School0.2 miles
Independent schools · Cheltenham
-
Belmont School0.5 miles
Academies · Cheltenham
-
Bettridge School0.5 miles
Special schools · Cheltenham
-
Dean Close Airthrie0.7 miles
Independent schools · Cheltenham
-
University of Gloucestershire0.8 miles
Universities · Cheltenham
Other schools in Cheltenham
- Ashley Manor Preparatory School Independent schools
- Berkhampstead School Independent schools
- Cheltenham College Independent schools
- Cheltenham Ladies' College Independent schools
- Dean Close Airthrie Independent schools
- Dean Close Preparatory 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 year groups does Dean Close School teach?
- Dean Close School teaches children aged 12 to 19. It is an independent school in Cheltenham.
- Who is the headteacher of Dean Close School?
- The headteacher of Dean Close School is Mrs A E Harber, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Dean Close School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Dean Close School 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 big is Dean Close School?
- Dean Close School has 488 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 12 to 19.
- Is Dean Close School full?
- Dean Close School has capacity for 535 pupils and 488 on roll (91%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Dean Close School a faith school?
- Yes. Dean Close School is designated Church of England/Evangelical.
- How have Dean Close School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 16.6 in 2022/23 and 29.4 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Dean Close School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Dean Close School'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.