Getting a Year 7 place in 2026
1.25 miles
Last year, children living within 1.25 miles of Balcarras School were offered a Year 7 place on distance, and only children inside the catchment area got places.
181places
239families put it first
73%of those got in
Year by year since 2019
More about how places were given
181 Year 7 places for September 2026. 239 families put it first, about 1.3 for each place.
The furthest distance offered a place in 2026 was 1.25 miles. Only children inside the catchment area were offered places.
Looked-after children, EHC plans, siblings, catchment areas and faith can come before distance, and distances change every year. Read the admissions policy before you apply.
Last distance offered, September 2026 Year 7 entry, Gloucestershire County Council. Earlier years: allocation-day tables, Gloucestershire County Council. What this means
Secondary offer day (allocation day): 1 March 2027. Key dates
In short.
Worth knowing
- It gives priority to children living in its catchment area.
- GCSE results are in the top 10% of Gloucestershire secondaries.
- Pupils miss fewer lessons than at 9 in 10 Gloucestershire secondaries.
Average GCSE grade
6.2
▲ Higher than typical (4.5)
English: average grade
6.0
▲ Higher than typical (4.8)
Maths: average grade
6.3
▲ Higher than typical (4.5)
English and maths grade 4+
92%
▲ Higher than typical (65%)
English and maths grade 5+
80%
▲ Higher than typical (42%)
Ofsted
Outstanding
Full inspection, 2025
Lessons missed
5.3%
▼ Lower than typical (8.4%)
Pupils per teacher
17.3
About typical (16.6)
Typical is the middle school when all 34 Gloucestershire secondaries that are not grammar schools are lined up, half above and half below. Tap a box for the detail. GCSE grades run from 9 (highest) to 1; a 4 is a standard pass, roughly the old C.
How places are given.
This school sets its own admission rules. After children whose EHC plan names the school, if more families apply than there are places, its policy gives places in this order:
- Children in care, or who were in care
- Brothers and sisters of pupils, if you live in the area of priority
- Children of staff (usually employed two years or more, or filling a hard-to-fill post)
- Children living in the area of priority, nearest first
- Brothers and sisters of pupils, if you live outside the area of priority
- Everyone else, nearest first (straight-line distance)
Our short summary of the school's 2027 policy, checked 7 November 2026. The policy has the full definitions, such as who counts as a brother or sister and how distance is measured.
It gives priority to children living in its catchment area. The area is shown on a map in the school's policy, which we can't redraw accurately, so check the map in the policy or ask the school.
Read the school's admission rules for September 2027 (PDF)
Free school transport. If this is your nearest suitable school and the walking route is more than 2 miles (children under 8) or 3 miles (8 and over), the council usually provides free transport. Families on lower incomes can get help over shorter distances. School transport
GCSE results.
+1.1
grades higher in each subject, on average, than at schools in England with similar pupils. Similar pupils means a similar share from lower-income families (9% here).
Average GCSE grade, each year
Each year is a different group of pupils.
Results subject by subject
Average grade (9 is highest) and how many entries got a standard pass (grade 4+) or a top grade (7+), for subjects with 10 or more entries. "County" is the average for all Gloucestershire non-grammar schools.
| Subject | Entries | Average grade | Grade 4+ | Grade 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 192 | 5.8county 4.7 | 95% | 29% |
| Mathematics | 192 | 6.4county 4.7 | 94% | 57% |
| Combined Science | 191 | 6.0county 4.4 | 89% | 44% |
| English Literature | 187 | 5.6county 4.7 | 93% | 24% |
| Business Studies | 138 | 6.1county 4.7 | 91% | 43% |
| Geography | 109 | 6.6county 4.7 | 95% | 55% |
| Design and Technology | 95 | 6.5county 4.9 | 98% | 54% |
| History | 78 | 6.0county 4.7 | 90% | 42% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 75 | 6.1county 4.7 | 91% | 47% |
| Art and Design | 71 | 6.2county 5.0 | 97% | 42% |
| Physical Education | 62 | 6.2county 5.0 | 97% | 42% |
| Spanish | 44 | 5.4county 5.2 | 82% | 30% |
| French | 43 | 6.7county 5.3 | 98% | 56% |
| Religious Studies | 43 | 6.5county 5.1 | 93% | 58% |
| Other Modern Languages | 37 | 6.9county 7.0 | 100% | 70% |
| Computer Science | 22 | 6.7county 4.3 | 96% | 50% |
| Drama | 18 | 6.1county 5.0 | 89% | 44% |
| Music | 10 | 6.5county 5.1 | 90% | 40% |
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional), subject results. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.
Where it ranks in Gloucestershire
Positions are among Gloucestershire secondary schools that are not grammar schools with a published figure. 1st means the highest results. Typical is the school in the middle when they are lined up from highest to lowest. Jargon buster.
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional).
Sixth form and next steps.
After Year 11
Where pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24 went.
Stayed in education, training or work
96%
Glos 92% · England 91%
Went to a school sixth form
73%
here or at another school
Went to a college
19%
sixth form or further education college
Started an apprenticeship
1%
See three years and more detail
| Leaving year | 2021/22205 pupils | 2022/23194 pupils | 2023/24217 pupils | Glos 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, training or work | 98% | 96% | 96% | 92% |
| School sixth form | 73% | 69% | 73% | 46% |
| Sixth form college | 11% | 9% | 6% | 10% |
| Further education college | 9% | 9% | 13% | 29% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 1% | 4% |
| Work | 0% | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Did not stay in any of these | 2% | 3% | 2% | 5% |
| Not known | 0% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.
A level results 2025
Average grade per A level
B
Glos B- · England C+
Average of best three A levels
B
Got AAB or better
21%
in three A levels
Progress
Above average
compared with similar students nationally
219 students took A levels. “Progress” compares grades with students across England who got similar GCSEs.
A level results subject by subject
2025: how many entries got the top grades, and whether students did better or worse than expected from their GCSEs.
| Subject | A* to B | Progress | A* or A | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 72%England 63% | Average | 42% | 80 |
| Business Studies | 69%England 49% | Above | 33% | 58 |
| Psychology | 50%England 48% | Average | 26% | 46 |
| Physics | 79%England 54% | Above | 55% | 42 |
| Design and Technology (Product Design) | 90%England 45% | Above | 41% | 39 |
| Biology | 61%England 52% | Average | 25% | 36 |
| Chemistry | 70%England 57% | Average | 42% | 33 |
| English Literature | 48%England 56% | Average | 19% | 31 |
| Economics | 64%England 62% | Average | 29% | 28 |
| Fine Art | 100%England 72% | Above | 64% | 25 |
| Geography | 76%England 55% | Average | 40% | 25 |
| Government and Politics | 58%England 59% | Average | 29% | 24 |
| Religious Studies | 67%England 57% | Average | 25% | 24 |
| History | 70%England 59% | Average | 13% | 23 |
| Drama and Theatre Studies | 70%England 63% | Average | 35% | 20 |
| Computer Science | 89%England 49% | Above | 61% | 18 |
| Environmental Science | 18%England 34% | Average | 6% | 17 |
| Physical Education / Sports Studies | 67%England 45% | Average | 25% | 12 |
| Textiles | 80%England 72% | Average | 20% | 10 |
| Russian | 100%England 98% | Average | 100% | 9 |
| Mathematics (Further) | 88%England 80% | Average | 75% | 8 |
| French | 71%England 68% | Average | 0% | 7 |
| Music | 71%England 58% | Average | 29% | 7 |
| Spanish | 71%England 67% | Average | 29% | 7 |
| Photography | 100%England 61% | Above | 67% | 6 |
Subjects with 5 or more entries. Progress “Above” or “Below” means the difference from expected grades is big enough not to be chance; otherwise it shows “Average”. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.
Other courses taken in 2025: Extended Project (51 entries); Nutrition / Diet (vocational) (28 entries); Health Studies (Cambridge Technical) (13 entries).
After sixth form
Where students who finished here went.
Started a degree within two years
82%
Glos 56% · England 58%
Went to a ‘top third’ university
39%
Glos 20% · England 16%
Went straight into work
35%
Glos 35% · England 27%
Started an apprenticeship
5%
Glos 8% · England 7%
Started a degree within two years: girls 85%, boys 78%.
See three years and more detail
| Leaving year | 2021/22191 pupils | 2022/23174 pupils | 2023/24213 pupils | Glos 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, training or work | 93% | 90% | 92% | 83% |
| University or other higher education | 52% | 57% | 46% | 38% |
| Further education | 9% | 2% | 7% | 3% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 3% | 5% | 7% |
| Work | 29% | 28% | 35% | 34% |
| Did not stay in any of these | 6% | 8% | 6% | 12% |
| Not known | 1% | 3% | 1% | 6% |
Percentages of pupils who left that year. “Glos” is all Gloucestershire state schools and colleges. Rows can add up to more or less than 100% because of rounding and pupils doing more than one thing.
‘Top third’ universities are those with the highest entry grades. Degree figures count the two years after sixth form, so include gap years (students who finished in 2022/23); the yearly table counts only the first year, so its university figure is lower. Progression to higher education and destination measures, Department for Education, published October 2026.
Ofsted.
Ofsted
Outstanding
Full inspection, 2025
“Pupils and staff have huge pride in their school. The school is highly ambitious for pupils to enjoy a broad and well-designed curriculum. It has the highest expectations for all pupils, both for their academic achievement and to be part of a positive and inclusive school community. […]”
Read the full report (PDF) · Ofsted, Open Government Licence.
Inspection history (2 reports)
Grades from different years were given under different rules, so they are not directly comparable. Reports from before a school became an academy are listed under its old school on the Ofsted website.
What parents told Ofsted.
Not enough parents filled in Ofsted's Parent View survey for this school to publish results. Ofsted only publishes a school's results once 10 or more parents have answered (November 2025 to September 2026).
See this school on Ofsted Parent View, or add your own views if your child goes there.
Day to day.
Pupils
Attendance and behaviour
Teachers and money
Behaviour policies differ between schools, so compare suspensions with care. Pupils and staff: school census and workforce census, Department for Education.
Questions parents ask.
How close do you need to live to get a place at Balcarras School?
Last year, children living within 1.25 miles of Balcarras School were offered a Year 7 place on distance, and only children inside the catchment area got places. Year by year since 2019: 2019: not full: everyone who applied got in; 2020: not full: everyone who applied got in; 2021: 1.47 miles; 2022: 1.28 miles; 2023: 1.19 miles; 2024: 1.32 miles; 2025: last places went to brothers and sisters; 2026: only children in the catchment area got in. Distances change every year, and children in priority groups (such as looked-after children, children with an EHC plan naming the school and brothers or sisters of current pupils) can get places before distance is used.
How many families applied to Balcarras School?
For September 2026 Year 7 entry, 239 families put Balcarras School as their first choice, and 181 places were offered. (Department for Education, secondary applications and offers 2026)
What are Balcarras School's GCSE results?
In 2026, pupils at Balcarras School got an average Attainment 8 score of 62.1, and 92% got grade 4 or above in both English and maths. (Department for Education, provisional GCSE results 2025/26)
What did Ofsted say about Balcarras School?
Rated by Ofsted in each area at its last full inspection (4 March 2025):
How do I apply for a place at Balcarras School?
You apply to your home council, not to the school. If you live in Gloucestershire, that is Gloucestershire County Council. For September 2027 entry, on-time applications closed at midnight, 31 October 2026, and offers are sent on 1 March 2027. Late applications are dealt with after on-time ones.
Contact and nearby.
East End Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, GL53 8QF
Headteacher: Mr Dominic Burke
Run by an academy trust: The Balcarras Trust
Nearby secondary schools
Spotted something wrong on this page? Tell us
This is a guide, not an admissions decision. Figures come from the Department for Education, Ofsted and Gloucestershire County Council and were last updated 7 November 2026. Always check the school's admissions policy and the council's admissions pages before applying. How admissions work