The High School Leckhampton

The High School Leckhampton has been awarded an overall effectiveness rating of outstanding in its first inspection since opening in 2021. The school, part of the Balcarras Trust, demonstrates exceptional performance across all domains, including education quality, behaviour, personal development, and leadership. Students are highly engaged in their learning, showing exemplary behaviour and a commitment to the school community, facilitated by a well-structured curriculum and extensive extracurricular activities.

Strengths

• Exceptional behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Strong commitment to academic and personal development
• Highly ambitious and broad curriculum extending beyond national standards
• Effective teaching with good subject knowledge
• Strong emphasis on reading and literacy across the curriculum
• Robust support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• Extensive opportunities for pupil leadership and engagement
• Well-prepared pupils for adult life with a comprehensive careers programme

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 The High School Leckhampton attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 10.2% 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, 4.7% of pupils at The High School Leckhampton 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 The High School Leckhampton had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 17.7% of pupils at The High School Leckhampton were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.7% 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 The High School Leckhampton received £7,807 and spent £7,565 for each of its 578 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £88,000 (£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

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

• Balcarras School Cheltenham
• Winchcombe School Cheltenham

What is The High School Leckhampton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The High School Leckhampton is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was The High School Leckhampton last inspected by Ofsted?

The High School Leckhampton was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does The High School Leckhampton have?

The High School Leckhampton has 759 pupils on roll.

What age range does The High School Leckhampton cover?

The High School Leckhampton for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The High School Leckhampton's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 59.7, and 66% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The High School Leckhampton?

The High School Leckhampton is at Farm Lane, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, GL51 3FS.