Isbourne Valley School, Cheltenham
Isbourne Valley 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 22nd-highest of the 40 schools in Cheltenham with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- 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
Isbourne Valley School in detail
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Isbourne Valley School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% 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 Isbourne Valley School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Isbourne Valley School as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Isbourne Valley School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Isbourne Valley School are Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 82% reading, 56% maths); Gretton Primary School (2.8 miles, Requires improvement, 79% reading, 43% maths); Temple Guiting Church of England School (3.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 82% maths); and Oak Hill Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles, 60% reading, 40% maths).
Isbourne Valley School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary SchoolGretton Primary SchoolTemple Guiting Church of England SchoolOak Hill Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Isbourne Valley School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Toddington (Gloucs Warwicks Railway), about 960 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Reddog Forge (by), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Isbourne Valley School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Isbourne Valley School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 75% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 58% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.0
Avg class size
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Isbourne Valley School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Isbourne Valley School.
- Sprint Active ClubsAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Isbourne Valley 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
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Isbourne Valley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Isbourne Valley 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)
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 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 Isbourne Valley School
Will you get a place at Isbourne Valley School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Isbourne Valley School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Isbourne Valley School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Isbourne Valley School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Gloucestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Isbourne Valley 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
76%
Available places
80 pupils
105 places
25 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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
80
Total Pupils
49
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
11.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,355
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,974
Per pupil
£616k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
10.7%
Persistent absence
75
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Isbourne Valley School
What are SATs results like at Isbourne Valley School?
Of the pupils at Isbourne Valley School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Isbourne Valley School's Ofsted rating?
Isbourne Valley School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.
What is the catchment area for Isbourne Valley School?
No fixed boundary. When Isbourne Valley 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 Isbourne Valley School?
Isbourne Valley School was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Isbourne Valley School?
Classes at Isbourne Valley School average 20 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Isbourne Valley School?
Isbourne Valley School has around 80 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Isbourne Valley School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Isbourne Valley School in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Isbourne Valley School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Isbourne Valley 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 Isbourne Valley School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Sprint Active Clubs (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Isbourne Valley School's term dates?
Isbourne Valley 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 Isbourne Valley 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 Gloucestershire is 5 (the median across 338 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Isbourne Valley School?
Isbourne Valley School is at Didbrook, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5PF.
Sources: Gloucestershire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)