Hesters Way Primary School

About Hesters Way Primary School

Hesters Way Primary School is a state-funded mixed primary in Cheltenham, within Gloucestershire local authority. Among the 243 primary schools in the county, it sits at rank 141, placing it in the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in the area include Meysey Hampton Church of England Primary School, Temple Guiting Church of England School, and Thrupp School, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. For families looking at nearby options, the nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Gloucester Road Primary School, just 1.6 kilometres away. Hesters Way itself was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection in November 2021, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018. The school serves 185 pupils against a capacity of 210, and a notably high 45.9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.

Academically, Hesters Way’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 50 per cent, which is below the Gloucestershire local authority average of 59 per cent. Broken down by subject, 67 per cent met the expected standard in reading, 60 per cent in writing, and 73 per cent in maths. At the higher standard, 17 per cent achieved in both reading and maths, but no pupils reached the higher standard in writing or in all three subjects combined. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 102 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50 per cent of primaries on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at percentile 79.9, meaning roughly 80 per cent of schools nationally performed better on this measure.

The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, library, playing fields, sports hall, gymnasium, and a chapel. Sports provision includes swimming, netball, dance, cricket, and rounders, while after-school clubs cover coding, chess, and film club. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: 49 applications were received for 22 places, with 18 first-preference offers made. This suggests strong local demand despite the middling academic rankings. Hesters Way is likely to suit families who value a Good-rated school with a broad range of facilities and a clear focus on SEND support, particularly those living within Cheltenham who want a community primary with a relatively small roll.

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