Balcarras SchoolThe High School Leckhampton
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Cheltenham.
Summary of the comparison
Balcarras School and The High School Leckhampton are secondary schools in Cheltenham.
Balcarras School scores 81 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The High School Leckhampton scores 82 out of 100 (grade B, strong). The High School Leckhampton is ahead on our composite score.
Balcarras School was judged exceptional and The High School Leckhampton was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 62.1 for Balcarras School and 59.7 for The High School Leckhampton.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Balcarras School (62.9 in 2021-22, 62.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CheltenhamBalcarras School | CheltenhamThe High School Leckhampton | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B81/100 | B82/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 41 in Gloucestershire Stronger figure | 25th of 41 in Gloucestershire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Outstanding | Ofsted: Outstanding | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,427 | 759 | |
| Capacity | 1,359 | 900 | |
| Location | Cheltenham, GL53 8QF | Cheltenham, GL51 3FS | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 62.1 Stronger figure | 59.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 79.9% Stronger figure | 66.4% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 92.3% Stronger figure | 85.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 194 | 119 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 216 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 40.3 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 40.5 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 21.1% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,429 | 578 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 6.4% | 8.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 3.7% | 3.8% | |
| SEN support | 6.0% | 14.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.5% | 5.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.0% Stronger figure | 5.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 9.8% Stronger figure | 10.2% | 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
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
The High School Leckhampton
Full profiles: Balcarras School · The High School Leckhampton