Dunalley Primary School

About Dunalley Primary School

Dunalley Primary School in Cheltenham holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained consistently across its two most recent inspections. In its 2023 graded inspection, the school received Good marks across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The most telling academic metric for this primary school is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2. At 66%, this figure sits comfortably above the Gloucestershire local authority average of 59%. That places Dunalley 5th out of 22 primary schools in the Cheltenham area, putting it in the top quarter locally. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 43% of all primaries, a solid showing for a state school operating at full capacity with 420 pupils on roll.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, Dunalley’s strengths are clearest in reading, where 77% of pupils met the expected standard and 39% achieved the higher standard. The average reading score was 107, while maths averaged 105, with 82% reaching the expected level and 27% hitting the higher mark. Writing is a relative weaker spot: 66% met the expected standard and only 13% reached the higher standard, matching the combined RWM expected figure. The school’s overall ranking score of 66 is based on that combined expected measure, and while it doesn’t crack the top tier nationally, it’s a strong performer within its region, sitting in the top 37% of South West primaries. For context, the highest-ranked schools in the local authority, like Meysey Hampton and Temple Guiting, achieve perfect scores of 100, so there is room to push further, but Dunalley is clearly delivering above-average outcomes for its pupils.

Dunalley is a popular school, oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year with 180 applications for 60 places, a ratio of 3:1. Of the 65 first-preference applications, 56 were offered places, so securing a spot is competitive. The school offers a nursery provision and a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields and a gymnasium. Sports on offer include gymnastics, swimming, dance, athletics, netball, tennis and cricket, and there are clubs for gardening, book club, science club and eco club. The school’s SEND provision is comprehensive, covering moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This is a school that suits families seeking a well-resourced, inclusive primary with strong academic foundations and a clear sense of community, though those outside the immediate catchment should be prepared for the oversubscription challenge.

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