Pittville SchoolBalcarras School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Cheltenham.
Summary of the comparison
Pittville School and Balcarras School are secondary schools in Cheltenham.
Pittville School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Balcarras School scores 81 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Balcarras School is ahead on our composite score.
Pittville School was judged Good and Balcarras School was judged exceptional.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 44.2 for Pittville School and 62.1 for Balcarras School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Pittville School (41.9 in 2021-22, 44.2 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Balcarras School (62.9 in 2021-22, 62.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CheltenhamPittville School | CheltenhamBalcarras School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C59/100 | B81/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 23rd of 41 in Gloucestershire | 6th of 41 in Gloucestershire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Foundation school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 858 | 1,427 | |
| Capacity | 875 | 1,359 | |
| Location | Cheltenham, GL52 3JD | Cheltenham, GL53 8QF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 44.2 | 62.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 32.9% | 79.9% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 56.5% | 92.3% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 170 | 194 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 216 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 40.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | B | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 40.5 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 21.1% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 858 | 1,429 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 32.8% | 6.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 14.9% | 3.7% | |
| SEN support | 20.2% | 6.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.6% | 2.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.2% | 5.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 27.5% | 9.8% Stronger figure | 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
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.
Pittville School
Balcarras School
Full profiles: Pittville School · Balcarras School