Cheltenham · United Kingdom
Cheltenham College is a selective co-educational senior school for ages 13–18. It combines day places, full boarding and limited day boarding with GCSE, A-level and vocational routes.
Cheltenham College is the senior school on Bath Road in central Cheltenham. It educates boys and girls from Third Form, or Year 9, through Upper Sixth, or Year 13.
The school offers day places, full boarding and a limited day-boarding option. Its timetable extends beyond a conventional five-day school week. The published curriculum policy includes Saturday morning lessons and Saturday afternoon games for older year groups.
The College is academically selective. It may suit pupils who want a broad Year 9 curriculum, GCSEs and an A-level or vocational Sixth Form within a boarding-led house system.
Third Form is a broad foundation year before examination-course choices. The school lists two modern languages, three sciences, Latin and Computing. Every pupil also completes the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ), a supervised independent project.
Most pupils then take ten General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) or their international counterparts (IGCSEs) in Years 10–11. English Language, English Literature and Mathematics are standard. Pupils also take at least two sciences, one modern language and four options.
From September 2027, the school plans a separate one-year GCSE route for pupils aged 15–17. Its current page lists up to seven GCSEs, plus a Higher Project Qualification and a computing module.
Sixth Form pupils usually take three or four advanced subjects. A levels are subject qualifications normally taken before university. BTECs and Cambridge Technical qualifications offer vocational study, connecting academic learning with practical applications.
The school currently offers vocational courses in Applied Psychology, Information Technology, Business, and Sport and Physical Activity.
All Sixth Form pupils also complete the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), an independent research project. Families applying from outside Britain should check whether a proposed vocational and A-level combination meets their intended university’s requirements.
Cheltenham College does not advertise the International Baccalaureate. Its senior academic routes are British qualifications.
The College has 11 single-sex houses: six for boys and five for girls. Two are dedicated day houses. Day pupils can also be attached to a boarding house, although the school limits their share within each year group.
Full boarders live at school during term and leave for holidays and designated weekends. The school describes its model as full boarding, with evening and weekend activity built into the timetable.
Day boarders join a boarding house and have their own bed. They are expected to stay at least two nights each week. The 2026–27 fee page allows 46 nights in Autumn, 37 in Spring and 32 in Summer.
The boarding page instead says the fee covers 35 nights each term. Families should obtain the exact allowance in writing because the difference could affect the invoice.
Day-boarding places are limited. The Admissions Policy says they are usually allocated by registration date, while reserving the College’s discretion. It recommends registering four to five years before entry.
House preferences are not guaranteed. The school recommends naming two choices. It may allocate a different house because of capacity or the balance of the house community.
The principal senior entry points are Year 9 at 13+, Year 10 at 14+, and Year 12 at 16+. Registration does not guarantee a place.
Year 9 applicants can take Common Entrance, a shared independent-school examination, through the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). Alternatives are the College’s own entrance papers or scholarship examinations. The College also runs an early assessment during Year 6, about 32 months before entry.
That assessment includes English and Mathematics tests, discussions and group activities. The school also considers participation, collaboration, behaviour, interview responses and the current school’s reference.
An early offer remains conditional. The applicant must later complete Common Entrance in June of Year 8 or the College papers after November of Year 8.
The current Admissions Policy identifies an average of 55% as the usual Common Entrance pass mark. Results below that level prompt a meeting about monitoring and support rather than an automatic published rejection.
The standard Entrance Day for 2027 Year 9 entry took place on 21 November 2024. Its application deadline was 7 November 2024. Those early dates fit the school’s Year 6 assessment model, but that main cycle has passed.
Families now seeking Year 9 entry in 2027 should ask about late capacity or a waiting-list place. Year 10 uses College Entrance papers. The school has not published a current general Year 10 deadline.
Year 12 applicants take College Entrance or scholarship papers. They also complete CAT4, a cognitive-ability assessment. An overseas applicant whose first language is not English normally takes UKISET instead.
An offer requires a satisfactory school reference and at least five GCSE grades at 6, or equivalent. Individual A-level subjects may require grades 7, 8 or 9.
The international-pupils page says 16+ candidates take an English paper and papers in their intended A-level subjects. It still describes the general threshold as five GCSE grade Bs.
The June 2026 Admissions Policy uses the newer numerical wording of five grade 6s. Applicants should request the current subject-by-subject conditions with their offer.
The school has not published a general Year 12 deadline. Its 2027 scholarship cycle is live. Year 12 Art closes on 16 October 2026, Drama, Music and Sport on 22 October, and Academic on 23 October.
Scholarships and exhibitions are merit awards for Year 9 and Year 12. Registration must be complete before a scholarship application.
For Year 9 entry in 2027, Sport closes on 26 October 2026. Art, Drama and Music close on 7 January 2027, and Academic closes on 8 February 2027.
The school does not promise places merely because an award application remains open. When more applicants pass than places exist, the Admissions Policy says offers and waiting-list movement are based on academic performance.
At 13+ and 14+, overseas applicants take English as an additional language and Mathematics papers. They also provide references and complete an interview, in person or online.
Applicants whose first language is not English normally submit a full UKISET report with registration. The policy gives an alternative: Oxford Placement Test, the College EAL paper and CAT4.
The June 2026 English as an Additional Language (EAL) policy gives indicative minimum levels on the Common European Framework. They are A2, an elementary level, for Year 9 and B2, an upper-intermediate level, for Year 10 or Year 12.
These levels are not the only admission tests. The Head of EAL reviews the full evidence and decides whether the pupil can access the mainstream curriculum and whether paid support is needed.
Lower College EAL lessons may replace part of the modern-language timetable. Sixth Form support can include preparation for IELTS, the International English Language Testing System.
English as an additional language does not by itself qualify a pupil for extra time in public examinations. Any access arrangement needs separate evidence under examination rules.
The College says it can usually support mild specific learning difficulties. It remains a selective school, and admission depends on the pupil accessing the mainstream curriculum with the support reasonably available.
Families must disclose learning, medical, physical and mental-health needs before assessment. Reports should accompany registration where available. This lets the school consider adjustments and whether it can meet the need safely.
The June 2026 policy describes adaptive classroom teaching, study clinics, targeted literacy and organisation work, and individual or small-group lessons. External specialist assessment may also be recommended at the family’s cost.
Additional weekly support is not included in tuition. The 2026–27 charges are £630 per term for individual Learning Support and £343.20 per term for group support, including VAT.
The same prices appear for individual and group EAL. Both schedules cover 24 lessons of 40 minutes across the academic year, which may be distributed unevenly between terms.
Where an applicant has a significant existing mental-health need, the school conducts a separate suitability review. A boarding application also requires a Suitability to Board assessment.
An offer is confirmed only when the College believes it can support the pupil without compromising that pupil’s welfare or the safety and welfare of others. Ask for the proposed provision and cost in writing before acceptance.
The published fees include VAT and cover three terms.
| Year group | Day per term | Day per year | Boarding per term | Boarding per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years 9–11 | £15,376 | £46,128 | £20,558 | £61,674 |
| Years 12–13 | £15,880 | £47,640 | £21,062 | £63,186 |
Day boarding adds £3,455 per term to the day fee. Extra nights beyond the stated term allowance cost £68.40 each.
An Exeat is a designated weekend when pupils normally leave the boarding house. International boarders may remain at College on most such weekends in 2026–27. The exceptions are 18–20 September 2026 and 1–3 May 2027.
The school publishes a £200 charge for pupils who stay during an available Exeat. It does not say clearly whether that amount applies to each weekend, so confirm before budgeting.
The current 2026–27 additional-charges sheet lists a non-refundable £250 registration fee. Some live registration pages still say £240, so verify the amount shown at checkout.
The UK deposit is £1,200 for Year 9 or Year 10 and £1,620 for Year 12. For this fee schedule, an international pupil means one without a British passport. The international deposit is one term’s fees.
The deposit is paid on final acceptance. The public contract says its net value is credited without interest against the pupil’s final bill, subject to the cancellation and outstanding-debt rules.
Other current charges include:
The school bus is optional. Its 2026–27 annual return fares range from £366 to £2,405, depending on the route and stop. Published routes include locations in Cheltenham, Gloucester and several Cotswold towns.
The sibling discount is 10% of the net fee for the third and later children. Three children must attend together, or an older sibling must have attended the Prep or College for at least five years.
The discount is not retrospective. The College may reconsider it where the family also receives another award.
The public Parent Contract remains version 7, dated September 2025 and labelled 2025–26. Families should compare it with the contract issued for their own entry year.
For a current pupil, both parents may be required to give a full term’s written notice to the Head. Without valid notice, one full term’s fees are due in lieu.
Bursaries are means-tested and can accompany a scholarship. They are available to applicants who meet the normal entrance standard, subject to limited funds and a financial assessment.
For September entry, the school requires the completed application by 31 January of the same year. Its website says later applications will not be considered.
The policy says support may cover part or all of tuition. Exceptional help with items such as uniform, trips or tours may also be considered. Awards are reviewed annually and can rise, fall or end as circumstances change.
For eligible service families receiving Continuity of Education Allowance, the school says parents pay 10% of boarding fees. Other military support is assessed separately.
Admission does not itself give a pupil permission to live in the United Kingdom. Where sponsorship is approved, the school can issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), the reference needed for a student-visa application, after formal acceptance.
For 13+ and 14+ entry, the international page expressly says its Child Student visa route is available only to full boarders. The 16+ section mentions a CAS but does not repeat that restriction.
Families considering a visa-dependent day or day-boarding place at 16+ should confirm sponsorship eligibility before paying. Visa-renewal costs are charged to parents under the public contract.
Every pupil whose parents live outside the UK must have a UK guardian, regardless of nationality. The rule also covers service families whose parents are likely to be absent during the year.
The April 2026 policy normally requires a guardianship organisation accredited by AEGIS, the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students. An exception needs written approval from the school.
The guardian must be over 25, English-speaking and a British citizen or settled in the UK. They must live in private accommodation and should be within two hours’ drive of Cheltenham.
The guardian or approved host family covers Exeats, half terms, illness, disciplinary absence and emergency closure. Bed-and-breakfast accommodation is not acceptable. The guardian must be able to collect the pupil within four hours when required.
Boarding therefore does not remove the need for a robust holiday and emergency-care plan. Guardianship fees and travel are separate from the published school fees.
Ask first whether the required entry route still has space. This matters especially for 2027 Year 9, whose standard Year 6 assessment cycle has already closed, and for limited day-boarding places.
Request the current offer conditions, house status and support plan in writing. A house preference, day-boarding request or scholarship application is not confirmation of that place.
For a pupil who needs EAL or Learning Support, clarify the number of lessons, subjects displaced and exit criteria. Also resolve the small conflict between the EAL policy and the charges sheet.
Finally, obtain the offer-year contract and a complete first invoice. The website contains several live but conflicting amounts and an older public contract, so the signed documents should govern the family’s decision.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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8 minStart with the child and a realistic weekly timetable. Then confirm who provides care, which nights are covered, and what happens when plans change.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.