Holy Apostles' Church of England Primary School

About Holy Apostles' Church of England Primary School

If you're looking for a primary school where parents are overwhelmingly positive, Holy Apostles' Church of England Primary School in Cheltenham is hard to ignore. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, a remarkable 98% of the 64 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That level of satisfaction is backed up by strong individual scores: 95% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 99% felt their child is safe. The school is also clearly popular in the local area. For the 2025/26 academic year, it received 121 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.03. Of those, 33 families put it as their first preference, and 28 of those were offered a place. It's a Church of England primary with a current Good rating from Ofsted, following a previous Outstanding grade, and headteacher Daniel Smith leads a school of 208 pupils, just two short of its full capacity of 210.

Academically, Holy Apostles performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 77% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to a Gloucestershire local authority average of 59%. The school also ranks second out of 22 primary schools in Cheltenham on this measure, placing it in the top 25% nationally. Individual subject scores are strong too: average scaled scores of 107 in both reading and maths, with 90% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the higher standard, 47% achieved that level in reading and 40% in maths, though writing at the higher level was lower at 10%. Ofsted's most recent graded inspection, in February 2020, rated the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision all as Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in April 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a sports hall, music rooms, playing fields, an ICT suite, and a Forest School area. There's a chapel on site, reflecting its Church of England character. Clubs include coding, gardening, science and art, and sports on offer are netball, athletics, rounders, football and cricket. For children with additional needs, the school has provisions for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and multi-sensory impairment. With a very low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 3.8%, the intake is notably less disadvantaged than many schools locally. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes, a clear Christian ethos, and a setting where parents report very high levels of satisfaction and engagement. Given the oversubscription, applying as a first preference is essential.

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