With its famous docks, iconic cathedral and Roman history, Gloucester has its fair share of attributes that attract families from far and wide looking to call the city their home.
One of the things that makes Gloucester so attractive to families is its excellent schools. The city is home to a number of highly-rated schools which offer a broad and balanced education that are committed to providing their students with the best possible start in life.
Our Home Buyers Guide To Secondary School Education In Gloucester
Here is a list of the area's secondary schools and where they are located, which could be helpful for those considering moving to Gloucester.
Sir Thomas Rich’s School
Oakleaze, Gloucester, GL2 0LF
Sir Thomas Rich's School is a co-educational grammar school with academy status in Longlevens, Gloucester. It was founded in 1666 by Sir Thomas Rich, 1st Baronet, and is locally known as "Tommies". The school admits boys from age 11 to 18 and girls from age 16 to 18 in the sixth form.
The school is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Rich, a wealthy merchant and politician. Rich left £6,000 in his will to establish a school for poor boys in Gloucester. The school was opened in 1668, one year after Rich's death.
Sir Thomas Rich's School is a selective school, and admission is based on academic ability. The school offers a wide range of academic and extracurricular activities, and its pupils have gone on to achieve success in a variety of fields.
The school is located in a beautiful setting on the outskirts of Gloucester. The school buildings are modern and well-equipped, and the school has extensive playing fields and sports facilities.
Sir Thomas Rich's School is a highly regarded school with a proud history. It is a great place to learn and grow, and its pupils are well-prepared for the challenges of life beyond school.
Denmark Road High School
Denmark Road, Gloucester, GL1 3JN
Denmark Road High School is a selective grammar school with academy status in Gloucester. It is one of only three girls' grammar schools in Gloucestershire and has a mixed sixth form.
The school was originally founded in 1883 as the High School for Girls and was renamed Denmark Road High School in 2019. It consistently ranks in league tables as one of the best schools in England, and one of the Top 50 selective schools in the UK.
Denmark Road High School is a selective grammar school with a rigorous admissions process. Girls who wish to attend the main school must achieve an exceptionally high standard in the 11+ exam. Those who wish to attend the Sixth Form must be expected to do well at GCSE. Boys and girls from other schools may attend the Sixth Form if they meet the entrance criteria.
Denmark Road High School has a five-house system, to which students are allocated when they join the school. The houses are named after various aspects of the school's history:
- Mynd (blue): The first home of the school from 1883 to 1904.
- Barwell (green): The first headmistress on the Denmark Road site.
- Bearland (red): The home of the school from 1904 to 1908.
- Hartland (yellow): The first chair of the governors at the school.
- Kyneburga (white): The patron saint of Gloucester.
The house system is a way for students to feel a sense of belonging and community within the school. It also provides opportunities for students to compete in sporting and academic events, and to develop leadership skills.
Ribston Hall High School
Stroud Road, Gloucester, GL1 5LE
Ribston Hall High School is a selective grammar school in Gloucester, England, for girls between the ages of 11 and 18. It was founded in 1921 and has academy status. The school is known for its academic excellence and its commitment to providing a well-rounded education for its students.
The school's motto is "Empowering young women to discover their potential." This motto reflects the school's belief that all girls have the potential to succeed and that the school's role is to provide them with the opportunities and support they need to reach their full potential.
The King’s School
Pitt Street, Gloucester, GL1 2BG
The King's School is a co-educational private day school in Gloucester, with a long and distinguished history. The school has produced many notable alumni, including politicians, scientists, and artists.
The school traces its roots to a monastic school founded in the 11th century in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral. In 1541, King Henry VIII re-founded the school as one of seven "King's Schools" established after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The King's School is located in a beautiful setting adjacent to Gloucester Cathedral. The school buildings are a mix of old and new, with many of the original monastic buildings still in use. The school has extensive playing fields and sports facilities and is home to a thriving arts program.
Pupils at The King's School Gloucester are divided into houses. In the Junior School, the houses are Potter, Simpkin, and Tailor, named after the characters in the famous children's story "The Tailor of Gloucester." In the Senior School, the houses are Laud, Wheeler, and Serlo, named after Archbishop William Laud, Maurice Wheeler, a former headmaster, and Abbot Serlo, an important figure in the founding of St Peter's Abbey.
The King's School Gloucester also owns Archdeacon Meadow, a sports field that is used for rugby and cricket. For many years, the Meadow was the home of the annual Gloucester Cricket Festival and still hosts occasional T20 fixtures.
The facilities at Archdeacon Meadow have recently been modernized to include an indoor sports centre, built in 2012, and an all-weather hockey pitch completed in 2019. These new facilities have made Archdeacon Meadow a state-of-the-art sports venue that is used by the school and the wider community.
The Crypt School
Podsmead Road, Gloucester, GL2 5AE
The Crypt School is a coeducational grammar school with academy status in Gloucester founded in 1539 by Joan Cooke with money inherited from her husband, John.
The school was originally an all-boys school, but it made its sixth form co-educational in the 1980s, and moved to a mixed intake from year 7 in 2018, thereby becoming the only fully coeducational selective school in Gloucester.
The Crypt School has a wide range of facilities to support its students' academic and extracurricular activities including the largest non-commercial stage in Gloucestershire, the Sixth Form Centre (also known as the John and Joan Cooke Centre), a sports hall, a modern pavilion, new tennis and netball courts, three full-size rugby pitches, two football pitches, two cricket fields (one natural green and one artificial green), and the Anthony Iles Block (formerly the Engineering Block).
St Peter’s Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Stroud Road, Tuffley, Gloucester, GL4 0DD
St Peter's High School and Sixth Form Centre is a Roman Catholic academy school and sixth form centre located in Tuffley, Gloucester.
The main feeder schools for St. Peter’s are St. Peter's Catholic Primary School, Our Lady's Churchdown, The Rosary School, Stroud, St Joseph's Primary School, Nympsfield, and St Dominic's Catholic Primary School, Stroud.
The school was founded in 1964 and has a current enrollment of over 1,600 students.
The school offers a challenging and rigorous academic curriculum that prepares students for university and beyond. There is also a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, drama, and debating.
The school is a Roman Catholic school, and faith is an important part of the school's ethos. Students are encouraged to explore their faith and participate in religious activities.
Holmleigh Park High School
Windsor Drive, Gloucester, GL4 0RT
Holmleigh Park High School is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Tuffley.
It was founded in 1971 as Beaufort School, later renamed Beaufort Community School. In 2010, the school opened its new Sixth Form Centre and became a member of The South Gloucester Learning Trust. In 2013, it converted to academy status, as part of the OUR Co-operative Academies Trust.
In 2019, the academy was rebranded and joined the Greenshaw Learning Trust, following several years of underperformance. A new headteacher was appointed, and the school was relaunched as Holmleigh Park High School.
Since reopening, Holmleigh Park High School has undergone a number of changes. These include:
- The appointment of a new headteacher, Patrick Farmbrough.
- The introduction of new rules around behaviour and uniform.
- The encouragement of parents to visit the school without an appointment to see the standards for themselves.
- The introduction of a new curriculum throughout the school.
- The introduction of a daily reading program.
- The extension of the school day for Year 11 and Year 13 students.
- The launch of an expanded character program, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and academic Ivy League lectures at the university level at the school.
Churchdown School
Winston Road, Churchdown, Gloucester, GL3 2RB
Churchdown School Academy is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Churchdown in the English county of Gloucestershire. The school was founded in 1950 and has a long and proud history.
Previously a foundation school administered by Gloucestershire County Council, Churchdown School was converted to academy status on 1 November 2011 and was renamed Churchdown School Academy. However, the school continues to coordinate with Gloucestershire County Council for admissions.
Churchdown School Academy offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils, while students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A Levels and further BTECs. The school is committed to providing a high-quality education for all of its students, and it has a strong track record of academic success.
In recent years, Churchdown School Academy has undergone a number of changes. The school has been rebuilt and modernized, and it has a new sixth-form centre. The school has also introduced a number of new initiatives, such as a focus on character education and a new curriculum that is designed to prepare students for the 21st century.
Chosen Hill School
Brookfield Road, Churchdown, Gloucester, GL3 2PL
Chosen Hill School is a large co-educational academy school in the village of Churchdown in Gloucestershire, England. It is also a Beacon School, which means that it is recognized for its outstanding teaching and learning.
The school was mentioned in 2008 in The Daily Telegraph as being the most over-subscribed school in Gloucestershire. This means that more students applied to attend the school than there were places available. In June 2009, it was recognized by Ofsted as 'outstanding', the highest possible rating.
The school has a large sixth form, with many students going on to higher education, many at Russell Group universities. Russell Group universities are some of the most selective and prestigious universities in the United Kingdom.
In 2011, Chosen Hill School became a national finalist in the Young Enterprise scheme which gives the chance for students to run a business, create a product and sell it. It was the first time a Gloucestershire school has gone through to the London finals in 25 years and their product, 'Granny's Cookbook', featured local recipes and was retailed at over 12 retailers, including the world-renowned Liberty in London, Waterstones and Rick Stein stores in Cornwall.
Severn Vale School
School Lane, Quedgeley, Gloucester GL2 4PR
Severn Vale School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Quedgeley. The school was founded in 1993 and has a current enrollment of over 1,100 students. Severn Vale School is a non-selective school, meaning that all students who live in the catchment area are admitted.
As a technology college, students must take a design and technology subject at GCSE, which can be food technology, resistant materials, textiles, or graphic design. Students also have a choice of other subjects, including English, mathematics, science, and religious education. Physical education is compulsory, but students are only examined in this subject if they choose to study it at the GCSE level. Students may also choose to continue studying the modern language they studied at Key Stage 3.
GCSE results at Severn Vale School have steadily improved over the years. In 2004, only 40% of students gained 5 or more GCSE grades A*-C. However, by 2012, this figure had risen to 89%, with 65% of students achieving 5 A*-C grades including English and mathematics.
This improvement is due to a number of factors, including the school's focus on high-quality teaching and learning, its commitment to providing extra support to students who need it, and its strong emphasis on extracurricular activities.
Barnwood Park School
St Lawrence Rd, Barnwood, Gloucester GL4 3QU
Barnwood Park School is a coeducational secondary school located in Barnwood.
The school was founded in 1964 as Barnwood Park High School for Girls. In 2003, the school was awarded specialist status as an Arts College and was renamed Barnwood Park Arts College. The school achieved the Artsmark Gold from the Arts Council of England in 2009. In September 2018, the school became coeducational and was renamed Barnwood Park School.
Today it is a foundation school administered by Gloucestershire County Council.
Barnwood Park School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils. The school is committed to providing a high-quality education for all of its students, and it has a strong track record of academic success.
The school has a strong focus on the arts, and it offers a wide range of extracurricular activities in this area. Students can participate in drama, music, dance, art, and design. The school also has a strong sports program, and students can participate in a variety of sports, including football, rugby, cricket, and tennis.
Gloucester Academy
Painswick Rd, Gloucester GL4 6RN
Gloucester Academy is a mixed secondary school located in Derby Road, Gloucester, England. The school was formed in 2010 as a merger of Bishop's College, a mixed Church of England school, and Central Technology College, a boy's school. The school educates 825 students aged 11 to 16.
Gloucester Academy is a high-performing school with a proud history of success. In 2019, the school was rated "Good" by Ofsted, the independent school's inspectorate for England. The school also has a strong track record of academic achievement, with 68% of students achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE in 2019.
The school is committed to providing a high-quality education for all of its students. The school's curriculum is broad and balanced, and it offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, drama, and debating. The school also has a strong focus on character education, and it teaches students the importance of values such as respect, resilience, and responsibility.
