Dunalley Primary School, Cheltenham
Dunalley Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cheltenham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 40 schools in Cheltenham with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Gloucestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dunalley Primary School in detail
Dunalley Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Dunalley is a warm, vibrant, two‑form entry community school at the heart of Cheltenham. We are proud to be a place where every child is known, valued, and encouraged to learn and achieve alongside one another."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Dunalley Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 77% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Dunalley Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Dunalley Primary School as their first choice and 187 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Dunalley Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dunalley Primary School are Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 90% reading, 76% maths); The Catholic School of Saint Gregory the Great (0.6 miles, 82% reading, 85% maths); St John's Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 76% maths); and Gardners Lane Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 62% reading, 64% maths).
Dunalley Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolThe Catholic School of Saint Gregory the GreatSt John's Church of England Primary SchoolGardners Lane Primary School
Who goes there
12.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Cheltenham Racecourse (Gloucs Warwicks Railway), about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Anlaby Court (by), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dunalley Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dunalley Primary School are Pittville School (0.4 miles); and All Saints' Academy, Cheltenham (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
12.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 77% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 82% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 66% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Dunalley Primary School
Dunalley News 02/10/26
29 Sep 2026
Dunalley News 25/09/26
23 Sep 2026
Dunalley News 18/09/26
13 Sep 2026
Dunalley News 11/09/26
7 Sep 2026
New Academic Year Message from Mrs Godfrey
2 Sep 2026
Dunalley News 04/09/26
2 Sep 2026
From Dunalley Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Dunalley Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Dunalley Primary School.
- Atlas Camps Cheltenham - DunalleyAt the school · Not yet graded
- Kumon Pittville Park320m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Dunalley Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Gloucestershire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dunalley Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dunalley Primary School is in Gloucestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Gloucestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
Your chances of a place at Dunalley Primary School
Will you get a place at Dunalley Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dunalley Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dunalley Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dunalley Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dunalley Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Gloucestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
420 pupils
420 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cheltenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cheltenham
Across Gloucestershire council
Places available
7,250
Applications
6,016
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All primary applications across Gloucestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
63
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
18.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
456
Total Pupils
219
Boys
237
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
19.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,508
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,117
Per pupil
£2337k
Total funding
£82k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
6.2%
Persistent absence
371
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Dunalley Primary School
Questions parents ask about Dunalley Primary School
What are SATs results like at Dunalley Primary School?
Of the pupils at Dunalley Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Dunalley Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Dunalley Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.
What is the catchment area for Dunalley Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Dunalley Primary School is oversubscribed, Gloucestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Dunalley Primary School?
Dunalley Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Dunalley Primary School?
Classes at Dunalley Primary School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Dunalley Primary School?
Dunalley Primary School has around 456 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dunalley Primary School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Dunalley Primary School in 2024/25. 6.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dunalley Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dunalley Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Dunalley Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Atlas Camps Cheltenham - Dunalley (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Dunalley Primary School's term dates?
Dunalley Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Gloucestershire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Dunalley Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Dunalley Primary School?
Dunalley Primary School is at West Drive, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4LB.
Sources: Gloucestershire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)