Dean Close School

Independent

National rank

254

n/a

Rank last year

65.2%

A-level

A-level

A*-B

51%

GCSE

GCSE

A*/A/9/8/7

Need to know

Head teacher

Bradley Salisbury

Gender of entry

Mixed

Total pupils

519 (13-18)

Head teacher

Bradley Salisbury

Gender of entry

Mixed

Total pupils

519 (13-18)

Head teacher

Bradley Salisbury

Gender of entry

Mixed

Total pupils

519 (13-18)

UK day fees per term*

£10,225 (13-18) includes lunch

UK boarding fees per term*

£11,900-£15,150 (13-18)

*Fee correct as of November 21, 2024
Our methodology
Results

A-level 2024 rank: 264=

Grade

%

A*

10.6

A

23.3

B

31.3

A*/A

33.9

A*-B

65.2

GCSE 2024 rank: 240=

Grade

%

A*/A/9/8/7

51

What the school inspection says

Date of report
2019
Verdict
Excellent
“The school seeks to provide an environment where each individual’s qualities, interests and potential are respected and encouraged. Pupils achieve highly across the wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities available to them [and] are aided in their learning by excellent teaching. Pupils develop strong study skills as they move through the school. [They] are highly competent, independent learners with obvious ambition to do the best they can academically [and] excel in a wide range of creative and physical pursuits. The excellent level of pastoral care within the boarding houses means that boarders grow in self-confidence and self-esteem.” There were short visits in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and a routine inspection in 2024.
Read the full report
Read report

About the school

  • Dean Close, on the outskirts of Cheltenham, was established in 1886 as a boys-only school. Today it is a Christian co-ed, teaching day and boarding pupils from age 3-18.
  • In 2023 the school won the Thinking Beyond the Curriculum award, a category in the Talk Education Awards for Innovation in Education. Judges were impressed by its senior school Skills Lab initiative and its new Saturday prep school curriculum, Five Time.
  • Sixth-form students can gain the prestigious, industry-recognised Leiths qualification Introductory Certificate in Food and Wine. On completion, they can register on Leiths List to be considered for junior commis chef positions.
  • There is a pupil-led sustainability group which runs a competition to encourage students to make a difference in their respective houses. Other proposed plans include the installation of chicken coops to provide eggs, and a target of planting 2,000 trees.
  • Well-known graduates include the artist Francis Bacon and the Rolling Stones musician and founder Brian Jones.
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