Cheltenham College is a very good, all-round boarding school (with 20% day pupils) situated on a large and imposing site in the middle of the affluent city of Cheltenham, reportedly one of the most popular places to live in the UK.

The school is academically selective and almost every student progresses to university at 18 with Russell Group universities such as Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds, Manchester and St Andrews among the top choices. Five students went to Oxbridge in 2020, and the school is also successful with applications to medical school.  

The extra-curricular programme is very broad and two afternoons a week are spent on activities of the pupils’ choice, such as CCF, D of E, photography, pottery and water polo. An impressive community action programme enables 150 pupils to volunteer in local schools, care centres, community groups and the local hospital every week.  This is a very sporty school and the facilities are excellent.

Cheltenham College is one of only a few full boarding schools in the UK and they are very proud of their full boarding ethos. College is very much alive at the weekends. They have Saturday school and in the afternoon many of the students are involved in sport. Saturday evening is a time for social events that might include cooking nights, parties, movie nights, trips to local cinemas, theatres and restaurants. Students do have some free time on Sunday before joining the rest of College at a chapel service on Sunday evening.

This is a school that successfully combines a traditional setting with a forward-looking and progressive ethos where students feel happy and supported to achieve their potential.