Christ Church CofE Primary School

About Christ Church CofE Primary School

Christ Church CofE Primary School sits within Gloucestershire local authority, one of nine primary schools in the county currently rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Among the 22 primary schools in Cheltenham, it ranks 9th based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The top-performing peers in the local area include Meysey Hampton Church of England Primary School and Temple Guiting Church of England School, both with perfect ranking scores, and Thrupp School at 95. Christ Church’s own ranking score of 64 places it in the top 50 nationally for this key stage 2 metric. The school is a Church of England state primary for mixed genders, serving children aged 4 to 11, with headteacher Kerry Pope at the helm. Its 217 pupils fill nearly all of the 220-capacity school, and 18% are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average for primary schools.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023, Christ Church received Outstanding grades across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a consistent record of excellence, as the school also held an Outstanding overall effectiveness rating in its previous inspection in 2010. At key stage 2, 64% of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, above the Gloucestershire local authority average of 59%. Individual subject scores were similarly strong: 79% reached the expected standard in reading, 76% in maths, and 76% in writing. Higher standard attainment was more modest, with 12% reaching the higher benchmark across all three subjects. Average scaled scores sat at 105 for both reading and maths, exactly in line with the national average of 100.

The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, music rooms, playing fields, an outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, gymnastics, dance, swimming, athletics, and cricket, while clubs include book club, drama, and choir. For children with additional needs, Christ Church provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, alongside a resourced provision. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 139 applications for 30 places, with 51 first-preference applications and only 29 first-preference offers — an oversubscription ratio of 4.63. This is a school that suits families seeking a church-affiliated primary with strong academic outcomes and a consistent Outstanding rating, but securing a place requires a high-priority application.

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