Lakeside Primary School, Cheltenham
Lakeside 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 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 40 schools in Cheltenham with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- 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
Lakeside Primary School in detail
Lakeside Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "It is a place we are all incredibly PROUD of - where children are safe, happy and flourish academically. We are committed to ensuring our children experience the best education possible whilst we build positive working relationships with parents and carers. Society today provides more opportunities and challenges than ever before."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open evening on Monday 9 November 2026, an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026, an open evening on Friday 20 November 2026 and an open evening on Monday 7 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Lakeside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (72% in reading, 66% in maths).
Getting a place at Lakeside Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Lakeside Primary School as their first choice and 144 named it as one of their preferences, for 46 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 Lakeside Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lakeside Primary School are Benhall Infant School (0.2 miles, Good); St Mark's Church of England Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 76% maths); Greatfield Park Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 87% maths); and Warden Hill Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 88% reading, 80% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Lakeside Primary School.
Benhall Infant SchoolSt Mark's Church of England Junior SchoolGreatfield Park Primary SchoolWarden Hill Primary School
What parents say
157 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lakeside Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 82% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (82%).
Who goes there
14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%), Mixed (7%) and Asian (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cheltenham Spa Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lakeside Primary School (outside), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lakeside Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Lakeside Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lakeside Primary School are Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre (0.7 miles); The High School Leckhampton (1.2 miles); Pate's Grammar School (1.3 miles); and All Saints' Academy, Cheltenham (1.8 miles).
Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form CentreThe High School LeckhamptonPate's Grammar SchoolAll Saints' Academy, Cheltenham
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 January 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lakeside Primary School excels at making learning exciting and inclusive. Teachers are well-supported and share high aspirations for every child's success. The school creates a warm, welcoming environment where children love to learn, with outstanding pastoral care ensuring all pupils feel safe and valued.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading provision with consistently effective teaching - pupils achieve particularly well and develop a love of reading
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum that clearly outlines what pupils must learn, with teachers providing clear explanations and opportunities to revisit previous learning
- Excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning - pupils are polite, friendly and hard-working with consistently positive attitudes
- Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to access the same curriculum and make good progress
- Strong pastoral provision and emotional support through spaces like 'The Den', helping pupils manage their emotions and improving attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Some disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with SEND do not attend school regularly enough, causing them to miss important learning and experiences - the school needs to continue working closely with parents to remove barriers to attendance
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre visits, musical instrument lessons, mindfulness, hockey club, choir, animation club, circus skills, Aspiration Day, charity fundraising
Lakeside Primary School is a happy, welcoming and inclusive school that has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. The school has high expectations of pupils and provides a rich curriculum with exciting learning experiences.
At a Glance
14.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
157 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 remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.9
Avg class size
24.8
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
19
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Lakeside Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lakeside Primary School.
- Move More Camps - St Marks430m away · Not yet graded
- Atlas Camps Cheltenham - Greatfield Park1000m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Lakeside 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 Lakeside Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lakeside 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Lakeside Primary School
Will you get a place at Lakeside Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lakeside Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lakeside Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lakeside 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 Lakeside 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
85%
Available places
534 pupils
630 places
96 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(8)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
14.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
511
Total Pupils
266
Boys
245
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,238
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,002
Per pupil
£2926k
Total funding
£108k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
10.8%
Persistent absence
483
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 Lakeside Primary School
What are SATs results like at Lakeside Primary School?
Of the pupils at Lakeside Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is Lakeside Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Lakeside Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lakeside Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Lakeside 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 Lakeside Primary School?
Lakeside Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Lakeside Primary School?
Classes at Lakeside Primary School average 26.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lakeside Primary School?
Lakeside Primary School has around 511 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lakeside Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Lakeside Primary School in 2024/25. 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lakeside Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lakeside 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 Lakeside Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Lakeside Primary School: Move More Camps - St Marks (430m away, registered, not yet graded) and Atlas Camps Cheltenham - Greatfield Park (1000m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Lakeside Primary School's term dates?
Lakeside 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 Lakeside Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Lakeside Primary School?
Lakeside Primary School is at Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6HR.
Sources: Gloucestershire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)