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Grammar school · Gloucester

The Crypt School

Ages 11 to 18 · 1,100 pupils (708 boys, 392 girls) · sixth form

Getting a Year 7 place in 2026

11+ test

The Crypt School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. Last year, the last place offered went to the child ranked 726 on the school's list.

147places

158families put it first

67%of those got in

Check how far you live
More about how places were given

147 Year 7 places for September 2026. 158 families put it first, about 1.1 for each place.

Places go by rank in the 11+ test and the school's other criteria. Last rank in - 726.

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.

September 2026 Year 7 entry, Gloucestershire County Council. What this means

Secondary offer day (allocation day): 1 March 2027. Key dates

In short.

Typical is the middle school when all 7 Gloucestershire 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 is a grammar school. Children must sit the Gloucestershire grammar schools' 11+ test, which all seven grammar schools share. For September 2027 entry the test was on Saturday 12 September 2026.

Only children who reach the school's qualifying standard can be offered a place. It isn't a fixed pass mark: it depends on how a child's score ranks against everyone who sat the test. Most of the grammar schools set a lower standard for children in care and children eligible for pupil premium. Places then go in the order set out in the school's rules.

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.

Average GCSE grade, each year

20247.1
20257.3
20267.3

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 grammar schools.

SubjectEntriesAverage gradeGrade 4+Grade 7+
English Language1496.6county 7.099%54%
Mathematics1497.6county 7.5100%81%
English Literature1486.1county 6.899%35%
Biology1347.7county 7.6100%84%
Chemistry1347.8county 7.6100%84%
Physics1337.7county 7.6100%81%
Geography917.8county 7.5100%85%
History737.3county 7.2100%75%
Business Studies677.4county 7.3100%72%
Computer Science497.1county 7.1100%61%
German407.9county 7.2100%93%
Physical Education377.0county 7.3100%60%
French268.0county 7.4100%92%
Combined Science157.3county 6.9100%73%
Drama146.8county 6.9100%50%
Design and Technology136.2county 7.3100%46%
Art and Design127.5county 7.4100%92%

GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional), subject results. Small subjects can swing a lot from year to year.

Where it ranks in Gloucestershire
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8: divide by 10 for the average grade per subject · 5th of 7 · Typical 74.773.3
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsA standard pass, roughly the old C · 6th of 7 · Typical 99%99%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsA strong pass · 6th of 7 · Typical 97%95%
Grade 4 or above in science6th of 7 · Typical 99%99%
Teachers still there a year later5th of 7 · Typical 88%86%

Positions are among Gloucestershire 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

97%

Glos 92% · England 91%

Went to a school sixth form

86%

here or at another school

Went to a college

10%

sixth form or further education college

Started an apprenticeship

0%

See three years and more detail
Leaving year2021/22151 pupils2022/23151 pupils2023/24152 pupilsGlos 2023/24
Stayed in education, training or work100%99%97%92%
School sixth form91%89%86%46%
Sixth form college2%3%2%10%
Further education college4%3%8%29%
Apprenticeship1%1%0%4%
Work1%3%0%3%
Did not stay in any of these0%0%2%5%
Not known0%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

23%

in three A levels

Progress

Average

compared with similar students nationally

169 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.

SubjectA* to BProgressA* or AEntries
Mathematics65%England 63%Average42%79
Biology58%England 52%Average40%43
Chemistry70%England 57%Average48%40
Business Studies62%England 49%Average19%37
Economics65%England 62%Average27%37
Physics75%England 54%Average50%36
Geography66%England 55%Average28%29
History55%England 59%Below14%29
Psychology62%England 48%Average24%29
Sociology86%England 49%Average48%21
Government and Politics60%England 59%Average30%20
English Literature56%England 56%Average12%16
Computer Science80%England 49%Average53%15
Mathematics (Further)79%England 80%Average50%14
Physical Education / Sports Studies36%England 45%Average14%14
Fine Art100%England 72%Above100%10
Spanish75%England 67%Average25%8
Logic / Philosophy0%England 52%–0%5

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 (39 entries); Core maths (30 entries).

After sixth form

Where students who finished here went.

Started a degree within two years

77%

Glos 56% · England 58%

Went to a ‘top third’ university

44%

Glos 20% · England 16%

Went straight into work

26%

Glos 35% · England 27%

Started an apprenticeship

7%

Glos 8% · England 7%

Started a degree within two years: girls 67%, boys 79%.

See three years and more detail
Leaving year2021/22146 pupils2022/23163 pupils2023/24167 pupilsGlos 2023/24
Stayed in education, training or work89%92%91%83%
University or other higher education53%62%57%38%
Further education1%1%1%3%
Apprenticeship10%10%7%7%
Work23%19%26%34%
Did not stay in any of these8%6%7%12%
Not known3%2%2%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, 2024

In Ofsted's words, from its school inspection report, March 2024:
“Pupils receive an exceptional quality of education and benefit from a rich offer to develop their talents and interests. They consistently live up to the school’s high expectations for their academic achievement and broader development. The school motto is, ‘flourish Cryptians,’ and pupils do. […]”

Read the full report (PDF) · Ofsted, Open Government Licence.

Inspection history (2 reports)
  • 12 March 2024School inspection: Outstanding · report
  • 16 May 2012Full inspection: Outstanding · report

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.

Read the reports 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

How full the school is1,091 pupils for 990 places, May 2025110%
Can get free school mealsA sign of how many families have lower incomes▼ Lower than typical (5.0%)4.4%
Get extra help with special needsSEN support, without a formal planAbout typical (7.8%)8.0%
Have an EHC planA legal plan for special needs▲ Higher than typical (0.5%)0.6%
Speak another language at homeAbout typical (17%)17%

Attendance and behaviour

Lessons missedFor any reason▼ Lower than typical (4.2%)3.3%
Missing 1 day in 10 or moreCalled “persistently absent”▼ Lower than typical (8%)4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils▲ Higher than typical (1.5)2.2

Teachers and money

Pupils per teacherNot the same as class sizeAbout typical (18.5)18.0
Teachers still there a year laterAbout typical (88%)86%
Spending per pupilSmall schools usually cost more per childAbout typical (£6,786)£7,011

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 The Crypt School?

The Crypt School is a grammar school, so Year 7 places go by the 11+ test and the school's other rules, not by distance. Last year, the last place offered went to the child ranked 726 on the school's list. 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 The Crypt School?

For September 2026 Year 7 entry, 158 families put The Crypt School as their first choice, and 147 places were offered. (Department for Education, secondary applications and offers 2026)

What are The Crypt School's GCSE results?

In 2026, pupils at The Crypt School got an average Attainment 8 score of 73.3, and 99% got grade 4 or above in both English and maths. (Department for Education, provisional GCSE results 2025/26)

What did Ofsted say about The Crypt School?

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its last full inspection (12 March 2024).

How do I apply for a place at The Crypt 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.

Podsmead Road, Gloucester, GL2 5AE

Headmaster: Mr Nicholas Dyer

Run by an academy trust: The Crypt School

01452 530291 · School website

Official school record · Gloucestershire school admissions

Nearby secondary schools

All secondary schools in Gloucester ›

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