The Cotswold Academy, Cheltenham

In its own words: "• Providing exceptional teaching and encouraging individual aspiration. Together, these drive progress and attainment for every student. • Encouraging and supporting our students to thrive academically and personally, so that they develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to succeed in their future lives."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Based in the stunning village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, The Cotswold School has earned an ‘Outstanding’ reputation as a popular and successful 11-18 comprehensive academy. Please watch our video, Welcome to The Cotswold School, to find out more from teachers and students about what makes our school an inclusive, ambitious and happy place to learn."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, basketball, badminton, dance, drama, choir and orchestra.

Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 12 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at The Cotswold Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 58.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 51.2 in Gloucestershire and 47 across England.

66% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Gloucestershire and 47% in England.

That is up from 53 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.49: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 48.9, against 60.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 276 families put The Cotswold Academy as their first choice and 479 named it as one of their preferences, for 241 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 43 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The Cotswold Academy is run by its own single-school academy trust.

306 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Cotswold Academy (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 93% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (93%).

Of the 241 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 13% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 150 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 52% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 38% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

13.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Cotswold Academy.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Academy Grounds (in), 60 metres away.

In 2024/25, The Cotswold Academy issued 122 suspensions, 8.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.