Sir William Romney's School
80%
Capacity
500
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Sir William Romney's School
Sir William Romney's School is a mixed state secondary in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, serving 500 pupils aged 11 to 16. Within its local authority, the school ranks 35th out of 44 same-type schools, placing it in the bottom half of the local league table. For context, the top-performing peers in the area include Pate's Grammar School, Churchdown School, and Denmark Road High School, all of which achieve significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The school is currently rated Good by Ofsted, following an ungraded inspection in February 2025 that confirmed standards were maintained. This represents a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was judged Requires Improvement. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 178 applications for 103 places, with 86 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.73.
Academically, the school's Progress 8 score is -0.17, which is below the local authority average of 0.19 and places it in the bottom 50 nationally. Its Attainment 8 score is 42.4, and 62% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 34% achieved a grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.55, with just 14% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, 93% of the 74 respondents would recommend the school. Strong majorities agreed that their child is happy (94% strongly agree or agree), feels safe (96%), and that the school has high expectations (92%). However, only 77% of parents with SEND children felt the school gives them the support they need, with 23% disagreeing.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and music rooms. Clubs cover drama, chess, choir, book club, and eco club, while sports include netball, tennis, athletics, swimming, cricket, dance, cross country, and martial arts. SEND provisions are listed for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With no sixth form and a capacity of 625, the school is currently below capacity at 500 pupils. This is a school that has improved its Ofsted rating and is popular locally, but its academic outcomes sit below both the LA and national averages, which families prioritising high Progress 8 scores may want to weigh carefully.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Lowfield Road, Tetbury, Cotswold, GL8 8AE |
| Headteacher | William Ruscoe |
| Local Authority | Gloucestershire |
| Number of Pupils | 500 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 21.8% |
| School Capacity | 500 / 625 (80% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Feb 2025Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (12 Feb 2025): Standards maintained
Source: Ofsted, 17 Mar 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.17)
1926th of 3,141
Nationally
198th of 306
In South West
6th of 6
In Cotswold
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/235%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 78 pupils).
- Sixth form college58%
- FE college19%
- Employment8%
- Not sustained6%
- School sixth form (stay)5%
- Apprenticeship4%
94% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
74 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
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
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed103
178
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
86 families put this school as their 1st choice (48% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:25
Source: swr.gloucs.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.0%
- Mixed4.2%
- White (other)2.8%
- Asian1.4%
- Black0.2%
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.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
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 Sir William Romney's 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
Lowfield Road, Tetbury
Cotswold, GL8 8AE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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