Dean Close School, Cheltenham
Dean Close School is an independent school for pupils aged 12 to 19 in Cheltenham. It has a Church of England/Evangelical religious character. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dean Close School in detail
Dean Close School in its own words
In its own words: "Dean Close School is a co-educational Boarding and Day School which provides continuity of education from age 2 to 18. The School was established in 1886, and is set in 50 acres of parkland in the centre of Cheltenham."
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026, an open day on Saturday 6 March 2027 and an open day on Saturday 15 May 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Dean Close School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Dean Close School are Dean Close Preparatory School (0.2 miles); Dean Close Airthrie (0.7 miles); Cheltenham Ladies' College (1.1 miles, selective); and Cheltenham College (1.3 miles, selective).
Dean Close Preparatory SchoolDean Close AirthrieCheltenham Ladies' CollegeCheltenham College
Where pupils go next
Of the 106 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 63% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 12% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 142 pupils (29.1%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cheltenham Spa Rail Station, about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Morris Court (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dean Close School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
6 February 2024
Short Visit
24 March 2022
Short Visit
27 April 2021
Short Visit
11 October 2019
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
19 March 2019
Regulatory Compliance
26 April 2016
Intermediate (Boarding)
25 September 2012
Standard
1 January 2011
About
Dean Close School is a fee-charging co-educational English private boarding and day school located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school opened in 1886 as the 79th public school in the Victorian period, and is divided into pre-prep, preparatory and senior schools located on separate but adjacent sites outside Cheltenham town centre, occupying the largest single private area of land within...
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from Dean Close School
Read More about Field Day Provides Purposeful Opportunities for Every Year Group
2 Oct 2026
Read More about Inspiring Adventures in Namibia Launch Talks@ for the New Academic Year
30 Sep 2026
Read More about World-Class Pianist Clare Hammond Inspires Dean Close Musicians
30 Sep 2026
Read More about Shining a Spotlight on Eventing Excellence
25 Sep 2026
Read More about South West Success at the ESAA Combined Events Championships
25 Sep 2026
Read More about Douglas Graham Humanities Centre Opens at the Heart of Dean Close
24 Sep 2026
From Dean Close School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Dean Close School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 26
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 21 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
488 pupils
535 places
47 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cheltenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cheltenham
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,977
Applications
6,517
Got 1st preference
86.8%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
142
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
29.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
488
Total Pupils
273
Boys
215
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Dean Close School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Dean Close School
What are GCSE results like at Dean Close School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Dean Close School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Dean Close School last inspected?
Dean Close School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
How many pupils go to Dean Close School?
Dean Close School has around 488 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Dean Close School?
Dean Close School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Dean Close School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 26 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 21 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dean Close School?
Dean Close School is at Shelburne Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)