Browse Gloucestershire schools by age

 Berkhampstead School educates children aged 3 months-11 in Cheltenham, combining a non-selective, inclusive ethos with genuine academic rigour. Talented specialist teachers bring creativity and imagination to every subject, fostering self-confidence and a lasting love of learning. The results speak for themselves, with outstanding 11+ and scholarship success underpinning the school's warm, nurturing reputation. As a charitable institution, every pound invested goes straight back into staffing, facilities and pupil experience rather than shareholder returns. Families are drawn to Berkhampstead's rare balance: children known and valued as individuals, without ambition ever being left at the door. 

 Dean Close Airthrie School occupies a charming property in the heart of Regency Cheltenham, where its small scale allows genuine focus on the individuality of every child aged four to eleven. Tracing its roots back to 1940, Airthrie has long been known for its family atmosphere, and joined the Dean Close Foundation in 2020. Its bespoke BEAR Programme (Bespoke Educational Airthrie Roadmap) gives every pupil a personalised plan for success, whether their next step is grammar school, Dean Close itself, or another independent or maintained school. Curiosity and imagination sit at the heart of the Airthrie experience. 

 Hatherop Castle School invites children aged two and a half to thirteen into a genuine Cotswold storybook setting, complete with castle grounds, parkland and Macaroni Woods for forest-school adventures. Day and boarding places are available, with boarding from age seven, and the school prides itself on children achieving their first-choice senior schools, with scholarships won by around half at 11+ and 13+. Education here reaches well beyond academics, building confidence, character and independence so pupils are ready to embrace whatever comes next. It is, as one parent puts it, a true "Adventure of Childhood." 

 A small, family-feel school in Stonehouse, Hopelands Prep School has educated children aged three to eleven since 1991, with class sizes kept deliberately intimate to nurture every individual. Non-selective yet quietly high-achieving, the school sends an average of 80 per cent of leavers on to local grammar schools each year, alongside independent-sector scholarship successes. Hopelands places equal weight on moral grounding and self-confidence, aiming to instil pride in work and a genuine desire to succeed. Parents consistently describe it as Gloucestershire's best-kept secret - warm, supportive, and quietly exceptional. 

 Nestled in the Cotswold 'golden triangle' between Chipping Norton, Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold, Kitebrook Prep School is renowned for its nurturing environment and distinctive rural crafts and Oral English programmes. Boys and girls aged three to thirteen enjoy den-building, tree-climbing and genuine outdoor freedom around its honey-hued Cotswold house. As a member of the Cothill Trust, Kitebrook offers generous means-tested bursaries from Year 5, alongside fee reductions for armed forces families. Under recently appointed leadership, numbers and academic results have grown steadily, all while preserving the school's happy, family-like character. 

 The Richard Pate School offers an outstanding independent day education for boys and girls aged three to eleven, set across eleven acres on the leafy outskirts of Cheltenham. Founded in the spirit of its sixteenth-century namesake, the school pairs purpose-built facilities - science lab, art studio, IT suite and on-site woodland - with a genuinely happy, well-balanced atmosphere. Rather than fixating on one destination, Richard Pate focuses on finding the right next step for every child, delivering strong 11+ results and places at leading grammar and independent schools alike, all without losing its caring, community feel. 

 Set in the grounds of historic Pull Court near Tewkesbury, Bredon School is a specialist independent school for pupils aged seven to eighteen, with particular expertise in supporting dyslexia, dyspraxia and other learning differences. Founded in 1962, Bredon uses multisensory teaching and assistive technology to help every pupil thrive, offering Academic, Creative and Vocational pathways tailored to individual strengths. Beyond the classroom, an 84-acre campus provides a working farm, forest school, climbing wall and thriving Combined Cadet Force. Ranked in the top 1% of schools for value added at 16–18, Bredon proves that confidence and capability go hand in hand. 

 Founded in 1841 as the first major public school of Victoria's reign, Cheltenham College welcomes day and boarding pupils aged thirteen to eighteen to its historic site in the heart of the town. Once the setting for the film If...., the College blends classical academic tradition with a fully co-educational, forward-looking present. Its rowing, rackets and cricket heritage runs deep - the Cheltenham Cricket Festival remains a fixture of the English summer - while eleven boarding houses foster close-knit communities under dedicated housemasters and housemistresses. Cheltenham College continues to send pupils confidently on to Oxford, Cambridge and beyond. 

 Founded in 1853 to provide "a sound academic education for girls," Cheltenham Ladies' College remains one of the world's most respected girls' schools, welcoming day girls and boarders from age eleven. Under pioneering principal Dorothea Beale, the College introduced maths and science to its curriculum against fierce opposition, laying the foundations for a legacy of academic ambition that endures today. Around 820 pupils enjoy over 160 co-curricular activities, a purpose-built drama centre, and a history spanning more than 170 years. Named Southwest Independent School of the Decade in 2020, CLC continues to produce confident, resilient young women ready to shape their own paths. 

 Founded in 1886 as a memorial to the Very Reverend Francis Close, Dean Close School offers an all-through education for day and boarding pupils aged 2-18 across a beautiful 50-acre Cheltenham site. With around 500 pupils in the senior school, Dean Close combines big-school ambition with small-school warmth, woven through with its five key Skills for the Future - critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, compassion and communication. Facilities include a 550-seat theatre, 25-metre indoor pool and climbing wall, while the school's noted hockey and equestrian programmes sit alongside strong pastoral care. Every child here is known - and known to matter. 

 Tucked into a converted Victorian building in the heart of Gloucester, Edward Jenner School offers a genuinely bespoke education for children aged 5-16. Founded in 2013 by teachers Manda and Phil Brookes, the school builds its entire ethos around fitting the curriculum to the child rather than the other way around - delivering small classes and individually tailored programmes for pupils who benefit from a different pace or approach. Many pupils combine full-time attendance with home education, and the close-knit community values courtesy, resilience and mutual respect above all. It is small-scale education with a big personal touch. 

 One of seven schools founded by Henry VIII in 1541, The King's School, Gloucester traces its roots to an 11th-century monastic school within the cathedral cloisters — making it one of the country's oldest continuous seats of learning. Today it welcomes around 700 day pupils aged three to eighteen to its historic campus beside Gloucester Cathedral, where choristers have been educated for over 500 years. Small class sizes sit alongside a broad academic and co-curricular offer, from forensic archaeology to chaos theory, while the school's phone-free policy and strong pastoral ethos have helped it win Gloucestershire's Independent School of the Year multiple times. 

 St Edward's Cheltenham is a co-educational Catholic day school for pupils aged 11-18, set within Charlton Park  once a hunting lodge belonging to Edward the Confessor. Tracing its roots to a convent school founded in 1935, St Edward's has grown into a warm, opportunity-rich senior school where pupils are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones and discover talents in the performing arts, sport and leadership alike. Recent leavers have gone on to universities including Exeter, Durham, Bath and King's College London. Open to pupils of all faiths and none, St Edward's blends academic ambition with genuine community spirit. 

 Set within 210 acres of Cotswold parkland around a Grade I listed Victorian mansion, Westonbirt School welcomes day and boarding pupils aged two to eighteen near Tetbury. Founded in 1928 as a girls' school, Westonbirt became fully co-educational in 2019 and was named Co-educational Independent School of the Year in 2023, a striking achievement so soon after the transition. Facilities include a nine-hole golf course, 25-metre pool and strong lacrosse and equestrian programmes, while over 90 per cent of Year 13 pupils secure their first-choice university place. Small classes and close pastoral relationships remain at Westonbirt's heart. 

 Founded in 1882 by G.W. Sibly, Wycliffe College is a proudly non-selective day and boarding school for pupils aged three to eighteen, set across 52 acres of Cotswold countryside near Stonehouse. Around a third of its 600-plus pupils board, with over 20 nationalities represented among a genuinely global community. Wycliffe holds CReSTeD accreditation for dyslexia support and is a member of the prestigious Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, with a storied history in competitive squash.