School Chooser

Northleach Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England114 pupilsCheltenhamGloucestershire
School Chooser Score
21
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 49, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 7% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1127%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places61 spare114 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher18.1School workforce census

Northleach Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Cheltenham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 114 pupils and room for 175. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 21 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 7% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Mill End, Northleach, Cheltenham, GL54 3HJ01451 860274northleach.gloucs.sch.ukMiss Kirsty Williams headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 12 January 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

11 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1127%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 70%70%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 84%84%20232024: 45%45%20242025: 27%27%2025
Since 2017: -43%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017GloucestershireEngland
Pupils tested112219212523
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths27%45%84%67%80%70%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%9%11%14%20%26%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0102.0108.0107.0108.0107.0106.3105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0101.0105.0107.0105.0106.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0100.0107.0108.0112.0110.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard55%50%84%81%92%91%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard55%59%89%86%84%74%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%59%89%81%92%87%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.5+1.1+0.8+1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.0+0.3-1.9+1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged92%80%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places109 pupils for 175 places, 2024/25
62% full

66 places were empty (38% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (14 offers for 25 places).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary25142114all offeredLA
2025 Primary25152716all offeredLA
2024 Primary25151816all offeredLA
2023 Primary25162416all offeredLA
2022 Primary25111611all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll114Census January 2026
Places17565% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%9 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£26,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls64 / 50
White British pupils87%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (6), Moderate learning difficulty (3), language and communications needs (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll114111122116119132
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%15%20%18%14%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%4%5%3%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%19%6%9%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%5.2%5.3%6.3%4.1%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%3.7%3.6%3.1%2.8%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.5%1.7%3.1%1.2%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.9%11.9%9.9%12.0%8.9%7.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers6.3full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher18.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,052
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12023/24

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,623England £7,738. Total £846k
Income per pupil£7,711England £7,697. Total £856k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,045England £3,480
Money in reserve-13%In the red: -£112k, -£1,011 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£9,759it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,623spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m2112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate33 per 1,000 people64% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000Cotswold
Nearest bus stop170 mMarket Place, 10 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Cold Aston Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles74No overall grade 202578Compare
Sherborne Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.9 miles48Good 2023Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles54No overall grade 2024Compare
Bibury Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.9 miles20Good 20234Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Northleach Church of England Primary School with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats7%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 21 is 28 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 17 · middle 49 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Northleach Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Leonard's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy15.1 miles140Good 202428Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 21 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 21% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 49. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.01
DfE progress measure; 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.32
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 101 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Northleach Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Northleach Church of England Primary School scores 21 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 7% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 49, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Northleach Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Northleach Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 12 January 2023.

How good are Northleach Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 27% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Northleach Church of England Primary School have?

114 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 65% full.

Is Northleach Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 66 places were empty in 2024/25 (38% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Northleach Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Northleach Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 22.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Mill End, Northleach, Cheltenham, GL54 3HJ
Telephone
01451 860274
Website
www.northleach.gloucs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Kirsty Williams
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester
Local authority
Gloucestershire
Ward
Northleach
Constituency
North Cotswolds
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
115641 · LAESTAB 9163056 · UKPRN 10072390

Where these figures come from