Deciding where to send your child to school is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent. To help you get it right, we’ve put together a handy guide outlining 8 great places to educate your children in the Cotswolds
St Edward’s Prep and Senior Schools
Address: Prep: London Road Cheltenham, GL52 6NR and Senior: Cirencester Road, Cheltenham, GL53 8EY
Tel: 01242 388550 and Senior: 01242 538600
Why should our child come to your school? A wealth of opportunities exists for your child at St Edward’s and our pupils are inspired to develop and explore all aspects of their education.
What does your school specialise in? Small class sizes and outstanding pastoral care mean each pupil is noticed, nurtured and succeeds beyond their perceived potential.
What is the age range? 1-11years at Prep, 11 – 18 at Senior School.
What are your fees? Reception to Yr 6: £2590 - £4325 and Yr 7 – Yr 13: £4850 – 5920. For additional charges and nursery fees, please see the website.
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? Josh O’Connor and FKA Twigs.
Address: Birmingham Road, Alcester, B49 5ED
Tel: 01789 762494
Why should our child come to our school? Alcester Grammar School is the only mixed selective school serving the North Cotswolds, offering a rigorous academic education and excellent pastoral care within a community of “decent human beings”.
What does your school specialise in? A warm environment that promotes enjoyment of learning, fun with friends, and participation in an extensive range of trips, sports and other extra- curricular activities.
Students at AGS are still able to start four AS levels in Year 12, dropping to their favourite three subjects before Year 13. This gives them a broad curriculum, and, crucially, greater flexibility for their final choices. This is seen as vital for maximising grades, and so increasing their choices for university and careers.
What is the age range? Students can join us at age 11 subject to passing the 11+ entrance exam, and many others join us for their sixth form education.
What are your fees? We are a state-funded academy, so there are no fees!
Address: High Street, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 0AD
Tel: 01608 650758
Why should our child come to your school? We offer a modern take on a traditional education, with an inclusive, family atmosphere. A broad, encompassing curriculum with “outstanding pastoral care” OFSTED 2016.
What does your school specialise in? Treating each child as an individual and using a variety of ways to bring our curriculum to life, such as through our lively and engaging arts programme.
What is the age range? 2 – 11 years (nursery to the end of Year 6).
What are your fees? Main school is £2,862 per term, with a £50 reduction per term for each main school sibling. Please see the website for further details.
Address: 5 College Green, Worcester, WR1 2LL
Tel: 01905 721700
Why should our child come to your school? Set in the heart of Worcester, adjacent to the beautiful Cathedral and River Seven, The King’s School Worcester is Worcestershire’s leading independent school, ranking 7th in the West Midlands. The King’s School has a warm, friendly environment and a real sense of community. We strive for every pupil to achieve their full academic potential by providing the best possible environment to help them grow and develop to become the best possible version of themselves.
What does your school specialise in? We are an academic co-educational day school providing a wealth of character building opportunities through an amazing breadth of extra-curricular activities, especially in Music, Sport and the Performing Arts.
What is the age range? 2 - 18 years.
What are your fees? £2,336 - £4,663 per term.
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? Zac Purchase – Rowing Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist, Rt Hon Lord Justice Julian Flaux - Judge in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, Claire Gott - MBE - Structural Engineer, Luke Narraway - England Rugby Union, Allan Clayton – International Opera Singer, Edward Kemp – Creative Director of RADA, Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy – Chief Exec of Kingfisher plc, Richard Bacon - Conservative MP, Jackie Stephenson – Founding Partner Brooklyn Brothers
Address: London Lane Ascott under Wychwood 0X76AN
Tel: 01993 831793
Why should our child come to your school? Small class sizes in single-age cohorts, individual attention ensure our children are happy and successful. We ranked 49th in the Times Top 100 Preparatory School in England.
What does your school specialise in? We provide a broad balanced curriculum with particular emphasis on, SATS, English Speaking Board, performing arts, music and sports. We have a specialist SEN unit.
What is the age range? 3-11 years.
What are your fees? £2,335.00 per term. £7,005 per annum.
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? A.Elder (Medicine, Milan), T.Elder (Law, Canterbury), E.Jones (Engineering, Loughborough), K.Collister (Computer Science, Cambridge), E.Gripper (Music, Cardiff), with all pupils achieving their first choice secondary.
Address: Bristol Road, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 2AF
Tel: Prep – 01453 820470 Senior – 01453 822432
Why should our child come to your school? Set in almost 60 acres of land in rural Gloucestershire, Wycliffe is ideally positioned to offer a safe, rural environment, whilst also being highly accessible – 90 minutes by train to London, 45 minutes by car to Bristol and 70 minutes by car to Birmingham. At Wycliffe, we value tradition, embrace modernity and respect individuality. Wycliffe accepts pupils with a wide range of abilities and rejoices in their individual successes. Pupils are valued for who they are; diversity is celebrated. Boarding facilities are fantastic with our most recent Boarding House (opened in September 2017) having won the Boarding School’s Association Boarding Extension or Refurbishment Award.
What does your school specialise in? At Wycliffe we strongly believe in developing the whole person. Whilst academic progress is a high priority we encourage our pupils to pursue an interest outside of the classroom, whether on stage, in the choir, on the sports field, up a mountain, on a river, or maybe even tending to the Wycliffe bees. Wycliffe is the number 1 UK school for squash, as well as being a NOVA Netball Academy and providing excellent sports mentoring and facilities. In recognition of our provision for pupils with specific learning difficulties, Wycliffe has been accredited by CReSTeD (category DU), for the past twelve years. The recent CReSTeD report states, ‘The commitment to excellent pastoral care, appropriately differentiated teaching and realistic expectations have resulted in pupils with a wide range of difficulties and needs being successful in reaching their potential.’ Or, as a Year 11 pupil wrote, ‘Wycliffe has inspired me always to do the best I can and never give up’.
What is the age range? Co-educational, 2-18 years.
What are your fees? Day pupils - £3,225 - £6,995 per term, Boarding pupils - £6,875 - £12,705 per term.
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? Charlie Barnett (cricketer), (1910–1993), Gloucestershire and England cricketer, John May, Vice-Chairman of the World Scout Committee, Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. William Moseley, actor. Charlie Sharples, Gloucester rugby winger.
Address: Rendcomb, Cirencester, GL7 7HA
Tel: 01285 832306
Why should our child come to your school? Pupils are academically ambitious, thoughtful and adventurous. Rendcomb is the top independent school for progress made between GCSE and A Level in Gloucestershire. Pupils not only thrive in the classroom, outside the classroom they develop skills such as leadership through our extensive extracurricular and co-curricular programmes.
What does your school specialise in? Broad-ranging education for pupils, preparing students for life beyond school. Academic learning, sport, music and drama are central to the curriculum.
What is the age range? 3 to 18 years.
What are your fees? Per term - Juniors £2,010 to £3,865. Seniors £5,305 to £7,7775. £7,470 to £10,815 for boarders.
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? Chairman of Sainsbury’s David Tyler; retired jockey Richard Dunwoody; historian David Vaisey and yacht designer Angus Primrose.
Address: Kingham, Chipping Norton, OX7 6TH
Tel: 01608 658 999
Why should our child come to your school? Kingham is nurturing environment in which no-one is lost pastorally or academically. We are in the top 5% nationally for value added at A-level.
What does your school specialise in? Small class sizes create a supportive and stimulating learning environment. Our thriving Co-Curricular programme includes an outstanding STEM initiative and CCF contingent.
What is the age range? We are a co-educational boarding and day school for 11 to 18 year olds.
What are your fees? We are a non-selective school. Fees per term: Day £5740 - £6540, weekly boarding £8130 - £10040 and full boarding £8390 - £11015
Do you have any noteworthy alumni? Lord Adonis, Bruce Arnold OBE, RJ Ellroy, Vice Air Marshall Malcolm Brecht CB CBE, Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn FAA, Lance Ellington
