Holmleigh Park High School
95%
Capacity
1,378
Pupils
2.3x
Demand
About Holmleigh Park High School
Holmleigh Park High School sits in Gloucestershire local authority, a large mixed secondary with a sixth form that has undergone a significant turnaround. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. That marks a dramatic improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Inadequate overall. Among the nine secondary schools in Gloucester, Holmleigh Park ranks seventh by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of its immediate local area. For context, the top-performing peers in the LA are Pate's Grammar School, Churchdown School, and Denmark Road High School, all of which achieve considerably higher Progress 8 scores. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is The Crypt School, just 1.4 kilometres away, so families in Gloucester have strong selective and non-selective options nearby.
Academically, Holmleigh Park delivers solid but not exceptional results. Its Progress 8 score of 0.12 is above the national average of zero but sits below the Gloucestershire LA average of 0.19. The school performs strongest in maths, with a Progress 8 score of 0.28, and in the EBacc subjects, where it achieves 0.27. English and open subjects are weaker, both at -0.08. At GCSE, 62.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 44.7% reached grade 5 or above. The EBacc average points score is 4.03, and 29.8% of pupils entered the EBacc combination. In the sixth form, the school's value-added score is -0.15, which is rated as Average, with a typical A-level grade of C and 30 points per entry. Only 15.4% of students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects, which is modest compared with the grammar schools nearby.
The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 276 places in 2025/26, it received 639 total applications, with 239 first-preference applications and 218 first-preference offers — an oversubscription ratio of 2.32. Facilities are strong for a state school, including an astro turf, swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, theatre, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports offered include cricket, basketball, swimming, hockey, dance, and badminton, while clubs range from Film Club and Model UN to DofE and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 34.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, Holmleigh Park serves a diverse intake and suits families looking for a large, inclusive comprehensive that has demonstrably improved its standards in recent years.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Windsor Drive, Gloucester, Gloucester, GL4 0RT |
| Headteacher | Dan Hudson |
| Local Authority | Gloucestershire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,378 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 34.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,378 / 1,455 (95% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 19 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.12)
1261st of 3,141
Nationally
115th of 306
In South West
7th of 9
In Gloucester
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.5
'22/23
26.7
'23/24
30.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2344%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 170 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)44%
- FE college34%
- Employment11%
- Not sustained8%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Sixth form college1%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2343%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 58 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
5%
Russell Group
0%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)43%
- Employment33%
- Not sustained12%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Further education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics16
- Biology14
- History9
- Physics9
- Psychology8
- Government and Politics7
- Art and Design (Photography)6
- Chemistry6
- Environmental Science6
- Mathematics (Further)6
- Geography5
- Art and Design (Fine Art)4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed276
639
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
239 families put this school as their 1st choice (37% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Breakfast club
08:00-08:30
Source: hphigh.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British66.9%
- Mixed10.1%
- White (other)6.1%
- Asian4.1%
- Black0.7%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
13
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
10
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Holmleigh Park High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Windsor Drive, Gloucester
Gloucester, GL4 0RT
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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