Gelston School, Castle Douglas
Gelston School is a primary school for pupils in Castle Douglas.
- Attendance
- 95%
Data last updated 25 Oct 2026
Gelston School in detail
School in Scotland
Gelston School is a local authority school in Scotland. Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland rather than Ofsted, and Scotland does not publish school-by-school exam league tables.
In the 2025 pupil census it had 30 pupils, an average class size of 15 and 11.1 pupils per teacher.
57% of pupils have an additional support need recorded.
0% of its pupils live in Scotland's most deprived fifth of areas and 0% in the least deprived fifth (SIMD).
Attendance was 95% in 2024/25, and 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
The 2026 school estate survey rated its buildings' condition as satisfactory (B) and their suitability for teaching as satisfactory (B); the school was 60% full.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gelston School are Castle Douglas Primary School (2.3 miles), Dalbeattie Primary School (3.8 miles), Auchencairn School (4.9 miles) and Crossmichael School (5.3 miles).
Castle Douglas Primary SchoolDalbeattie Primary SchoolAuchencairn SchoolCrossmichael School
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Gelston School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (opposite), 90 metres away.
Sources: Scottish Government school statistics: pupil census, attendance and absence, school estate, leaver destinations (OGL); NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
Scottish GovernmentInspection
Schools in Scotland are inspected by Education Scotland, not Ofsted. Find Gelston School's reports on the inspectorate's website.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Gelston School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Dumfries & Galloway is 1 (the median across 109 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
Questions parents ask about Gelston School
What is the catchment area for Gelston School?
Scottish schools have catchment (zoned) areas, and Gelston School is no exception: children living in its zone are normally given a place there automatically. Families who want a different school make a placing request to Dumfries & Galloway. Dumfries & Galloway publishes the zone boundary.
How do I apply to Gelston School?
If you live in Gelston School's catchment zone your child is normally allocated a place automatically, and Dumfries & Galloway will write to you. To ask for a place here from outside the zone, make a placing request to Dumfries & Galloway - requests usually open in November and close in mid-March for the following August.
How many road collisions happen near Gelston School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Dumfries & Galloway is 1 (the median across 109 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gelston School?
Gelston School is at Gelston, Castle Douglas, Castle Douglas, DG7 1SH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)