Balcarras SchoolCheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Cheltenham.
Summary of the comparison
Balcarras School and Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre are secondary schools in Cheltenham.
Balcarras School scores 80 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre scores 63 out of 100 (grade C, average). Balcarras School is ahead on our composite score.
Balcarras School was judged exceptional and Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 58.5 for Balcarras School and 48.1 for Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Balcarras School (62.9 in 2021-22, 58.5 in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre (49.9 in 2021-22, 48.1 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CheltenhamBalcarras School | CheltenhamCheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B80/100Stronger figure | C63/100 | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 40 in Gloucestershire Stronger figure | 17th of 40 in Gloucestershire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,429 | 1,862 | |
| Capacity | 1,359 | 1,958 | |
| Location | Cheltenham, GL53 8QF | Cheltenham, GL51 3EF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 58.5 Stronger figure | 48.1 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 66.5% Stronger figure | 47.2% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 84.0% Stronger figure | 70.3% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 47.9% Stronger figure | 18.8% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 5.17 Stronger figure | 3.98 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 194 | 303 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 216 | 165 | |
| A-level average points | 40.3 Stronger figure | 35.2 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 40.5 Stronger figure | 35.6 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 21.1% Stronger figure | 8.1% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,429 | 1,862 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 6.4% | 22.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 3.7% | 16.3% | |
| SEN support | 6.0% | 9.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.5% | 2.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.0% Stronger figure | 9.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 9.8% Stronger figure | 27.8% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Balcarras School
Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre
Full profiles: Balcarras School · Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre