Isbourne Valley School

Isbourne Valley School is performing well and has maintained its good overall effectiveness since the previous inspection. Pupils take pride in their school community, where they experience strong support from staff and enjoy a sense of belonging. The school promotes a positive learning environment, evident in the high morale among staff despite recent staffing changes, and a dedicated leadership team that works closely with governors to drive improvement. The curriculum is largely effective, especially in early reading where a renewed focus has shown benefits. However, some subjects have been more recently developed, affecting the depth of knowledge pupils gain in those areas.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit strong pride and a sense of community.
• Staff provide effective support and build strong relationships with students.
• Clear and effective curriculum design across mixed-age classes.
• Well-established focus on early reading with positive outcomes.
• Strong leadership and dedicated staff working collaboratively.
• Effective behavior management leading to a safe learning environment.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, pupils do not gain the intended depth of knowledge.
• A small minority of pupils in key stage 2 struggle with reading fluency.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Isbourne Valley School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Isbourne Valley School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Isbourne Valley School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.0% of pupils at Isbourne Valley School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Isbourne Valley School received £8,225 and spent £8,679 for each of its 80 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £33,000 (-£410 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cheltenham · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Isbourne Valley School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Isbourne Valley School is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Isbourne Valley School last inspected by Ofsted?

Isbourne Valley School was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Isbourne Valley School have?

Isbourne Valley School has 80 pupils on roll.

What age range does Isbourne Valley School cover?

Isbourne Valley School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Isbourne Valley School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Isbourne Valley School?

Isbourne Valley School is at Didbrook, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5PF.