Rowanfield Junior School, Cheltenham

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 711

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~354m)Possible (~506m)Unlikely (~658m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Shona Riddell
Pupils:345 / 360 capacity
LA:Gloucestershire
Phone:01242516611
Address:Alstone Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 8HY
Trust:GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEARNING ALLIANCE
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2011

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:137255
UKPRN:10034664
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Cheltenham
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Rowanfield Junior School excels at creating a warm, inclusive environment where every child feels they belong. Pupils receive excellent support tailored to their individual needs, whether through reading help, specialist support for those with special needs, or comprehensive pastoral care. The school goes the extra mile with memorable cultural experiences like theatre trips and community events, plus plenty of opportunities to try new sports and develop leadership skills.

Key Strengths

  • Strong reading programme with effective support for struggling readers and pupils with English as an additional language
  • Well-trained staff provide excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
  • Extensive pastoral support including a community hub and bespoke help for families
  • Active encouragement of sports and extra-curricular activities for all pupils
  • Clear modelling and explanation of teaching in many subjects helps pupils develop knowledge and understanding

Areas for Improvement

  • In some subjects, the curriculum sequence does not clearly build on prior learning, making it difficult for pupils to remember what they have learned over time
  • Not all areas of the curriculum are precisely defined in terms of what pupils will learn and when

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Theatre trips, panto visits, bike riding lessons, community street parties, Pupil Parliament leadership roles, house captain positions, extra-curricular sports, curling team

Rowanfield Junior School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection in 2020. The school creates a strong culture of belonging built on its '4Ds: dream, drive, duty and dazzle' ethos, with clear routines, high expectations for behaviour, and support tailored to individual pupil needs.

At a Glance

39.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

15 responses
Would recommend93%
Child is happy93%
Well taught93%
Good progress93%
Feels safe93%
Well behaved93%
Bullying dealt with20%
Kept informed87%
Handles concerns67%
Wider development80%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+9ppMaths+7ppWriting+11pp

Reading has improved from 67% to 76%. Maths has improved from 68% to 75%. Writing has improved from 63% to 74%.

Class Sizes

28.8

Avg class size

28.8

KS2

12

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Cheltenham Spa Rail Station
847m · 14 min walk

Bus Stops

Bishop Court (opp)
275m · 4 min walk
Somerset Avenue (corner of)
286m · 5 min walk
Brooklyn Road (in)
331m · 5 min walk
Buckingham Avenue (after)
369m · 6 min walk
Saxon Quarter (before)
429m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

96%

Near capacity

345 pupils

360 capacity

15 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Cheltenham

Medium pressure
New homes approved:3,175
Projected new pupils:794

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Cheltenham

Admissions Demand - Gloucestershire

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

7,383

Applications

5,834

Got 1st preference

91.9%

Got preferred school

98.5%

Primary admissions across Gloucestershire (2025/26)

Inspection History(103)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.69687%

Overall absence

16.75978%

Persistent absence

358

Enrolments

Authorised4.6154%
Unauthorised1.08148%
Persistent (10%+)16.75978%
Severe (50%+)0.83799%

Absence trend

4.81516%
18/19
5.50772%
20/21
6.92364%
21/22
6.61934%
22/23
6.2587%
23/24
5.69687%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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