The Cotswold Academy

About The Cotswold Academy

The Cotswold Academy has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted across every category in its most recent inspection, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision. The school’s Progress 8 score of 0.49 is the strongest metric to illustrate its academic performance: this means pupils here achieve nearly half a grade more per subject than the national average. That score places the school first out of six schools in the Cotswold local authority, and in the top 25 per cent of schools nationally. It also sits well above the local authority average Progress 8 score of 0.19, confirming that the school is delivering significantly stronger progress than its peers in Gloucestershire. The Attainment 8 score of 55.2 and the basics measure showing 80.1 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths both underline a consistently high standard of core academic outcomes.

At Key Stage 5, the school continues to perform strongly. The average A-level grade per entry is a B, with a points-per-entry score of 40.29, and the best three A-levels average out at a B+. The value-added score of 0.19 is rated as above average, meaning sixth-form students make more progress than similar students nationally. Over a quarter of A-level entries achieved AAB or higher. The school also has a strong EBacc entry rate of 53.9 per cent, with 47.7 per cent of pupils achieving the EBacc at a grade 4 or above. The parent view data is overwhelmingly positive: 98 per cent of the 306 respondents would recommend the school, and 83 per cent strongly agreed that the school has high expectations for their child. The school is oversubscribed, with 437 applications for 240 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 227 first-preference offers made from 246 first-preference applications.

The school is a mixed, non-denominational secondary with a sixth form, serving 1,500 pupils against a capacity of 1,402. Facilities include a sixth-form centre, gymnasium, science labs, library, music rooms, and art studios. There is a wide range of clubs and activities, including Eco Club, orchestra, choir, Duke of Edinburgh, drama, chess, Model UN, Young Enterprise, book club, and science club. Sports on offer include swimming, cross country, basketball, netball, rounders, cricket, and badminton. The school has a comprehensive range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic record, above-average progress, and high parental satisfaction, this school is well suited to families who prioritise strong exam outcomes and a broad range of extracurricular opportunities.

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