Winchcombe School

Winchcombe School is a smaller-than-average secondary school that is performing at the expected standard across all inspected areas. Pupils typically achieve well and are well prepared for their next steps, with leaders having acted swiftly to improve the curriculum and teaching where historic differences in subject outcomes existed. The school has a calm and positive culture: pupils behave well, feel safe, and benefit from a strong careers programme and wide range of extracurricular opportunities. Staff and parents speak highly of the school, and safeguarding requirements are met. Notable strengths include the quality of leadership and governance, the support provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school's determined work to improve attendance. The recent opening of an internal alternative provision is already helping pupils to re-engage with education. Pupils are proud of their school and take on leadership roles, and the personal development curriculum prepares them well for adult life. There are some areas for further development. Historically, pupils have not achieved as highly in some subjects as in others, and leaders are still embedding the improvements. Teachers do not always use assessment information effectively to adjust activities and resolve gaps or misconceptions, and some pupils still miss too much school despite significant improvements in attendance. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils have been below national averages in recent years, although the school's disadvantage gap is narrowing. Overall, this is a school that is fulfilling the expected standard of education, with leaders clearly focused on continued improvement.

Strengths

• Leaders have acted swiftly to improve the curriculum and teaching where historic differences in subject outcomes existed
• Staff support and challenge pupils to produce high-quality work
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make positive progress from their starting points
• Leaders prioritise foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and oracy, with swift and effective support for pupils who need it
• Bespoke reading intervention helps improve pupils' reading fluency and comprehension
• Leaders have worked with great determination to raise overall attendance and reduce persistent absence
• The internal alternative provision is helping pupils overcome barriers to attendance
• Pupils show positive attitudes towards learning and have pride in their work
• Lessons are calm and pupils can learn without disruption
• Bullying is rare and pupils are confident to report concerns to trusted adults
• Suspensions and other sanctions have significantly reduced
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with carefully sequenced topics and subject-specific vocabulary
• Leaders have identified effective teaching strategies, particularly supporting pupils with SEND
• Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils and accurately identify individual needs
• The 'team around the child' meetings bring together academic and pastoral information to support pupils
• Leaders use additional funding, such as the pupil premium, to support pupils' success
• Leaders and governance have correctly identified development priorities and act swiftly
• Trustees and local governors fulfil their statutory duties, including safeguarding
• Staff have high-quality professional learning opportunities and are highly positive about leaders' care for workload and wellbeing
• Parents are highly positive about the school and praise recent improvements in behaviour
• The careers programme is a strength, preparing pupils well for next steps
• Pupils have opportunities to discuss and debate moral issues and learn about modern British values
• A wide range of extracurricular activities and trips develop pupils' talents and interests
• Student leadership roles are valued and pupils act as role models
• Increasing numbers of pupils are taking part in the wider life of the school
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture

Areas for Improvement

• Historically pupils have not achieved as highly in some subjects as they do in others
• Teachers do not consistently use assessment information effectively to adjust activities and resolve gaps and misconceptions
• Some pupils still miss too much time in school despite significant improvements in attendance
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in English and maths GCSE have been below national averages in recent years
• Leaders need to ensure staff have the expertise to consistently identify and close gaps in pupils' knowledge
• Attendance support strategies need to be further embedded to continue raising attendance for all pupils

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 Winchcombe School attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 7.2% of pupils at Winchcombe School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Winchcombe School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 9.1% of pupils at Winchcombe School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Winchcombe School received £7,741 and spent £9,126 for each of its 530 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £81,000 (£153 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of The Balcarras Trust, income was £8,226 and spending £8,563 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Winchcombe School is part of The Balcarras Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Balcarras School Cheltenham
• The High School Leckhampton Cheltenham

What is Winchcombe School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Winchcombe School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Winchcombe School last inspected by Ofsted?

Winchcombe School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Winchcombe School have?

Winchcombe School has 515 pupils on roll.

What age range does Winchcombe School cover?

Winchcombe School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Winchcombe School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 39% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Winchcombe School?

Winchcombe School is at Greet Road, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 5LB.