Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School, Cheltenham
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cheltenham, part of The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. 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 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School in detail
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our vision is for everyone to be able to set the example in what they say and in how they live. Our eight core values of Compassion, Courage, Respect, Responsibility, Humility, Forgiveness, Truth and Fairness underpin our vision ad help us all to achieve it on a daily basis."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, hockey, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, cross-country, dance, choir and STEM.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 9.30am, an open day on Wednesday 2 December 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Thursday 7 January 2027 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Gloucestershire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 56% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 75% in Gloucestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 93% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School are Gretton Primary School (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, 79% reading, 43% maths); Isbourne Valley School (2.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Oak Hill Church of England Primary School (3.3 miles, 60% reading, 40% maths); and Woodmancote School (3.5 miles, Good, 87% reading, 85% maths).
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Gretton Primary SchoolIsbourne Valley SchoolOak Hill Church of England Primary SchoolWoodmancote School
The trust
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School is one of 25 schools run by The Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Mixed (7%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Winchcombe (Gloucs Warwicks Railway), about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Library (by), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School issued 12 suspensions, 4.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Winchcombe Abbey is a school where everyone is welcome and accepted. Committed staff make learning purposeful and interesting so that pupils thrive and achieve highly. This is especially true in the early years. Children flourish thanks to the aspirational curriculum and expert teaching.
The school is a safe and harmonious place to learn. Pupils need few reminders about how to behave. They work hard in lessons, listen attentively and cooperate with their classmates. Staff are kind and patient. This gives pupils the confidence to talk about any worries or concerns they might have.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Reading is at the centre of the curriculum. Staff choose books to build pupils' vocabulary and enhance learning in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 build empathy and humility through the books they study about World War Two. They confidently explain the meaning of words such as 'persecution'. Older pupils enthuse about discussing books at the avid readers club. Over time, pupils become skilled and confident readers.
From the start of school, children quickly learn to read. Well-trained staff teach the phonics programme with precision. The school has invested in new books that closely match the sounds that pupils know and need to practise. This gives pupils the confidence to use their phonic knowledge to read unknown words. Staff are determined that no pupil is left to fall behind when learning to read.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.5%
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 declined from 93% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 73% to 56% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.6
Avg class size
23.3
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
Weekly Newsletter 5th October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Weekly Newsletter 28th September 2026
27 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 21st September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 14th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 6th July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Weekly Newsletter 29th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
From Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School.
- Atlas Camps WinchcombeAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Gloucestershire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Winchcombe Abbey Church of England 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Winchcombe Abbey Church of England 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School for 2015 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
90%
Near capacity
283 pupils
315 places
32 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(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
22.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
261
Total Pupils
135
Boys
126
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,673
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,985
Per pupil
£1586k
Total funding
£76k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
13.2%
Persistent absence
250
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
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 56% did so in maths.
What is Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Winchcombe Abbey Church of England 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School average 25.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School has around 261 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 13.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Gloucestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Winchcombe Abbey Church of England 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Atlas Camps Winchcombe (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School?
Winchcombe Abbey Church of England Primary School is at Back Lane, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5PZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)