Rowanfield Infant School
Alstone Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 8HY
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEARNING ALLIANCE
- Headteacher
- Mrs Shona Riddell
- Sponsor
- Gloucestershire Learning Alliance
- Constituency
- Cheltenham
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 270
- Pupils on roll
- 235
- URN
- 144898
- Local authority
- Gloucestershire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01242515334
About this school
Rowanfield Infant School is a primary academy in Cheltenham. It teaches children aged 4 to 7 and has 235 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Rowanfield Infant School, and its latest judgement is set out below. 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 26 January 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Trends over time
How Rowanfield Infant 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 8.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 248 |
| 2023/24 | 256 |
| 2024/25 | 246 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Rowanfield Infant School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 22% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 7.4% | 28.1% | 235 | — |
| Rowanfield Junior School | 67% | 5.7% | 42.9% | 345 | 0.1 miles |
| Hesters Way Primary School | 57% | 7.5% | 46% | 171 | 0.5 miles |
| Gloucester Road Primary School | 38% | 4.8% | 25.2% | 236 | 0.5 miles |
| Christ Church CofE Primary School | 69% | 3.4% | 18% | 213 | 0.6 miles |
| Gardners Lane Primary School | 50% | 7.8% | 38.9% | 262 | 0.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 28.05%
- English as an additional language
- 27.6%
- Overall absence
- 7.37%
- Persistent absence
- 17.78%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Rowanfield Junior School0.1 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Hesters Way Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Gloucester Road Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Christ Church CofE Primary School0.6 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
-
Gardners Lane Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Cheltenham
Other schools in Cheltenham
- Andoversford Primary School Primary
- Benhall Infant School Primary
- Bishops Cleeve Primary Academy Primary
- Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School Primary
- Charlton Kings Infants' School Primary
- Charlton Kings Junior School Primary
- Christ Church CofE Primary School Primary
- Coberley Church of England Primary School Primary
- Cold Aston Church of England Primary School Primary
- Dunalley Primary School Primary
- Gardners Lane Primary School Primary
- Glenfall Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Rowanfield Infant School teach?
- Rowanfield Infant School teaches children aged 4 to 7. It is a primary school in Cheltenham.
- Who is the headteacher of Rowanfield Infant School?
- The headteacher of Rowanfield Infant School is Mrs Shona Riddell, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Rowanfield Infant School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Rowanfield Infant School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Rowanfield Infant School?
- Rowanfield Infant School has 235 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 7.
- Is Rowanfield Infant School full?
- Rowanfield Infant School has capacity for 270 pupils and 235 on roll (87%), 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 Rowanfield Infant School a faith school?
- No. Rowanfield Infant School has no designated religious character.
- Does Rowanfield Infant School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Rowanfield Infant School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Rowanfield Infant School part of an academy trust?
- Rowanfield Infant School is part of GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEARNING ALLIANCE. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Rowanfield Infant School's absence rate?
- Rowanfield Infant School's overall absence rate is 7.4% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Rowanfield Infant School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Rowanfield Infant School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 2 July 2026.