Dean Close School

Dean Close began in 1886 on an Evangelical Christian foundation within the Church of England and has grown into a 50-acre day and boarding community in Cheltenham. Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form sit within the same wider setting, with Christian ethos, residential life and a substantial co-curricular programme shaping the experience beyond lessons.

The senior curriculum starts broadly: the Fourth Form studies 20 subjects before GCSE choices narrow the field. English, mathematics, a modern foreign language and science form the core, alongside four options. Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, compassion and communication are built into academic life, while societies and the Flecker Project Challenge extend study beyond the formal course.

The campus has theatre spaces, a 25-metre pool, floodlit pitches, forest school, a climbing wall, cookery school and dance studio. Day, flexi-boarding and boarding routes give families different ways to use the school, while the pastoral culture connects daily routines to the Christian character of the community.

Entry is handled directly and varies by year group. Overseas 13+ applicants take online English and mathematics tests and an interview; UK Sixth Form applicants are considered through reports, predicted GCSE grades and interview. Families can arrange a tour; the February 2024 outcome was that relevant standards were met.