Dean Close School with students playing Cricket in the front

Dean Close School

Dean Close School

Cheltenham, England

Dean Close School is set on a 50 hectare campus, not far from the centre of the lively and very attractive town of Cheltenham in southwest England. Alongside academic strength, the school is especially known for its strong sports programme, excellent music, art and creative product design. Boarding and day pupils alike feel very comfortable in Dean Close’s warm atmosphere and down to earth spirit.

We placed 1 pupil here in 2024.
Number of students
475
Number of boarders
270
Percentage of international boarders
15%
Average class size
13
Diploma offered
A-Level
Closest International Airport
1.5 hrs
Birmingham Airport - by car
The School campus and the old Chapel at Dean CloseThe campus

The Details

The Academics

Dean Close School is academically selective, but not excessively so. Generally, an average grade of 2.5 on the German report card is sufficient.

The school’s exam results in 2024 were 34 percent A grades in A Levels and 51 percent grades 9 to 7 in GCSEs. These are truly very respectable results. It’s no surprise, given the teacher-pupil ratio of 1 to 10, as well as the high level of engagement and motivation in the classrooms.

An academic highlight for us is the product design department, featuring a fantastic design and technology department staffed by incredibly passionate teachers.

Languages Taught

English, French, Spanish and Latin.

The Boarding

More than half of the pupils board. There are six boarding houses on campus, all recently renovated, friendly and bright. Day pupils are integrated into the boarding houses and can even stay overnight at school for up to two nights a week.

The girls Hockey team at Dean Close is playing a game in astro turfThe hockey

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

Dean Close School offers a very strong sports programme – hockey is particularly successful here, with the school reaching the national finals ten times in recent years. In dressage, the school stands out thanks to professional coaches from the English team. Tennis also sees a hundred hours of hard training each week.

Alongside excellent product design, the bright and friendly art department is impressive too, where pupils often choose to continue working after lessons.

Dean Close School has a very strong reputation for music, especially choral singing. The school offers over 50 performance opportunities each year – from orchestra concerts at the Festival Hall in Cheltenham and London to special lunchtime performances.

We are big fans of the interesting extracurricular options here. A cooking school was recently opened, complete with food and wine certification. And not to be forgotten is the city’s extensive festival scene. High profile events at the music, science and literature festivals attract many pupils.

Weaknesses

Exeat weekends pose particularly annoying logistical challenges for international families. We recommend finding a reliable guardian!

Location

Dean Close School is located in the attractive western English town of Cheltenham, which, as a spa and resort town, is somewhat comparable to Baden-Baden.

Closest International Airport
London Heathrow - 2 hrs by car
Bristol Airport - 1 hr 20 mins by car
Birmingham Airport - 1 hr 20 mins by car
Closest Train Station
Cheltenham Spa - 5 mins by car
Nearest Cities
Cheltenham - 10 mins walk
Our Opinion

Dean Close School is a refreshingly unpretentious, friendly school for proactive pupils and hockey stars!

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