Moving to Cheltenham area

[par]

Hi

We are moving to Cheltenham area in August and would have a child to start in reception in Sep 08. Have rang around various schools there seems to be no spaces so have my fingers crossed.

Please can someone familar with the area advise on the following schools e.g what general reputation etc is like. Experience of the school

Leckhamton, St James, Glenfallm Charlton kings Infant School, Holy Apostles and Naunton Park

If we cannot find a suitable state school with a place are considering private. Any views on Richard Pate, St Edwards and Berkhamsted.

Any feedback appreciated

[tudorrose]

Hi, I live in Cheltenham and all the schools you mentioned are great with good reputations really. Leckhampton and Charlton Kings are very popular and it helps to live close by or have a sibling in the school already. My DD1 went to Naunton Park and its lovely, it is old and well established. She enjoyed her time there, the teaching was great and she did fantastically well. She is now choosing universities!

[wulfstan]

Leckhampton and CK very good and very popular. Glenfall and Naunton Park good, but usually have spaces. St James has a good reputation but is a bit funny with 1.5 form entry - so half the classes are mixed age. Don't know about Holy Apostles. Where are you moving to? What about some of the slightly further out schools like Coberley etc.

Private schools have good reputations, but tbh, so do all the state schools you mentioned. If you're moving to that end of town then you're bound to be fine with the state schools

[bagsforlife]

All the schools mentioned are great, but possibly no spaces, Naunton Park always used to have spaces but has got a lot more popular recently. Richard Pate prob a tiny bit more 'academic' (lots of drs' and lawyers' children) than Berkhampstead or St Edwards, but all, again, absolutely fine. All of these schools I should think are 'above average' compared to rest of the country. Unless you are particularly pro private schools for all the extras or whatever, it is a waste of money in Cheltenham! The state schools you mention are of a very high standard, we are very lucky round here. Where are you moving from? My children are all a lot older but, if anything, the schools have got better since they started.

[mamablue]

Cheltenham has quite a few really good schools. So, unless you especially want private there is no need to go down that route. The most popular schools, for example Leckhampton, are quite hard to get into you need to be right in the catchment area ie. live very close to the school. The best thing about Cheltenham is that it has a fab Grammar school (I say that from experience) Wish we lived there now so my DD's could go.