Gloucester Road Primary School, Cheltenham
Gloucester Road Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Cheltenham. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 40 schools in Cheltenham with published results, and 13,886th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Gloucester Road Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at Gloucester Road Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 45% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 73% in reading and 58% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Gloucester Road Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put Gloucester Road Primary School as their first choice and 116 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Gloucester Road Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gloucester Road Primary School are Christ Church CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 81% reading, 84% maths); The Catholic School of Saint Gregory the Great (0.4 miles, 82% reading, 85% maths); Gardners Lane Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 62% reading, 64% maths); and Rowanfield Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 76% reading, 75% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Gloucester Road Primary School.
Christ Church CofE Primary SchoolThe Catholic School of Saint Gregory the GreatGardners Lane Primary SchoolRowanfield Junior School
What parents say
19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Gloucester Road Primary School (as of September 2025): 74% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
44.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (43%), Asian (21%) and Black (7%).
In 2026, 60 pupils (25.4%) received SEN support and 18 (7.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cheltenham Spa Rail Station, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alstone Avenue (after), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Gloucester Road Primary School issued 23 suspensions, 11.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Gloucester Road Primary School are All Saints' Academy, Cheltenham (1 mile); Pate's Grammar School (1.1 miles); Pittville School (1.2 miles); and Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre (1.3 miles).
All Saints' Academy, CheltenhamPate's Grammar SchoolPittville SchoolCheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Gloucester Road Primary creates a calm, nurturing environment where every child is known and supported to succeed. The school combines high academic expectations with excellent support for pupils' personal development, helping children become confident, respectful and responsible young people. Teachers are skilled at early reading and phonics, with most pupils achieving well as they progress through the curriculum.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading support - children become fluent readers from Nursery onwards
- Strong personal development - pupils understand diversity, democracy and take on meaningful leadership roles
- High expectations for behaviour with effective support for pupils struggling with emotions
- Ambitious curriculum with clear key knowledge identified across subjects
- Skilled staff who are proud to work at the school and receive good support from leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Writing curriculum needs further development - some pupils lack fundamentals needed for later work
- Assessment systems in some subjects don't effectively track what pupils remember over time
- Pupils struggle to recall prior learning term by term and year by year, limiting depth of knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with school leaders creating an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Karate, dance, young voices, residentials to adventure parks, theatre trips, train journeys, cinema visits, hockey, basketball, football, scooter activities
Gloucester Road Primary School has maintained the high standards from its previous outstanding inspection. The school prioritizes pupil welfare and academic development in a calm, nurturing environment where children feel safe and happy.
At a Glance
22.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
19 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 73% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 58% to 45% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 54% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Gloucester Road Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Gloucester Road Primary School.
- Kidzone @ Christ Church Primary School480m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Gloucester Road 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 Gloucester Road Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gloucester Road 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
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
9 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 Gloucester Road Primary School
Will you get a place at Gloucester Road Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gloucester Road Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gloucester Road Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gloucester Road 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 Gloucester Road 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
202 pupils
210 places
8 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
33.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
236
Total Pupils
126
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,375
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,778
Per pupil
£1342k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
9.1%
Persistent absence
187
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
Questions parents ask about Gloucester Road Primary School
What are SATs results like at Gloucester Road Primary School?
Of the pupils at Gloucester Road Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 45% did so in maths.
What is Gloucester Road Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Gloucester Road Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Gloucester Road Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Gloucester Road 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 Gloucester Road Primary School?
Gloucester Road Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Gloucester Road Primary School?
Classes at Gloucester Road Primary School average 29.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Gloucester Road Primary School?
Gloucester Road Primary School has around 236 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gloucester Road Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Gloucester Road Primary School in 2024/25. 9.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gloucester Road Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Gloucester Road 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 Gloucester Road Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Gloucester Road Primary School: Kidzone @ Christ Church Primary School (480m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Gloucester Road Primary School's term dates?
Gloucester Road 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 Gloucester Road Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 9 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 Gloucester Road Primary School?
Gloucester Road Primary School is at Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 8PB.
Sources: Gloucestershire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)