University destinations include Oxford, Warwick, UCL, King's College London, Bristol, and Manchester.
Leading independent co-educational day school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Why this school
University destinations include Oxford, Warwick, UCL, King's College London, Bristol, and Manchester.
Three-house vertical system runs inter-house competitions across all year groups throughout the year.
International pupils are placed exclusively via homestay, joining the full day school timetable from arrival.
St Edward’s School, Cheltenham is a co-educational independent day school for pupils aged 11 to 18, founded in 1987 and set in one of England’s most distinctive Regency towns. Around 375 pupils are on roll. For families who want a close-knit, academically purposeful environment without the scale of a large institution, that size is the point. The school holds ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) accreditation, with an inspection report published in 2025.
Cheltenham’s own character shapes the backdrop to school life: its architecture, festival culture, and proximity to the Cotswolds are all on the doorstep. Day pupils commute from across Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties. International pupils placed through homestay arrangements join the full day school timetable from the start.
The curriculum follows the standard English independent school pathway: GCSE in Years 10 and 11, then A-levels in the sixth form. Fees for Years 7–9 run at £21,192 per year (2025/26); from Year 10 through the Upper Sixth, the annual fee is £24,000 (2025/26), covering both GCSE and A-level years on the same day rate.
Class sizes are small across all year groups. In practice, that means less anonymity, more direct teacher contact, and a faster feedback loop between assessment and support. University destinations referenced in the school’s own materials include Oxford, Warwick, UCL, King’s College London, Bristol, and Manchester, pointing to a sixth form that prepares pupils for competitive applications.
The sixth form runs on A-levels, with pupils entering Lower Sixth at £24,000 per year (2025/26) on the same fee structure as Upper Sixth. Teaching groups at this level are typically compact. That suits pupils who learn well through discussion and close academic mentoring rather than large-lecture formats.
International pupils at St Edward’s are placed in homestay arrangements rather than on-site boarding. Pastoral support therefore operates across two environments: the school’s internal house system and the host family home. Three houses run vertically across year groups, generating cross-age relationships and giving each pupil a consistent point of contact throughout their time at the school. Housemasters and housemistresses work alongside the wider pastoral team to monitor progress and wellbeing.
The homestay model places pupils inside local family life from the outset, which tends to accelerate language development and cultural integration beyond school hours.
The school runs a programme of sports, cultural activities, and extracurricular opportunities alongside the academic timetable. The house system feeds directly into competitive co-curricular life: inter-house competitions in sport and other activities run throughout the year, with cross-year participation built in by design. Cheltenham’s calendar of literary and music festivals adds further cultural touchpoints for pupils based in the town.
Specific clubs, societies, and competition records are not detailed in the available data. The school’s stated emphasis on maximising individual potential across academics, sport, and culture points to a broader programme than the core timetable alone.
As a day school, St Edward’s facilities are used intensively across the school day and into after-school activities. The Cheltenham setting gives pupils access to the town’s wider sporting and cultural infrastructure alongside on-site provision. Specific facility inventories are not itemised in the available data, but the school’s ISI-accredited status and 2025 inspection confirm that provision meets independent school regulatory standards.
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Bristol Airport is approximately 45 miles away; Gloucester city centre is around 25 minutes by road. Birmingham Airport is an alternative international gateway for families arriving from the north.
Annual tuition
£21,192 per year · day · Senior · Years 7-9
Other tier breakdowns shown below.
| Stage | Year groups | Type | Audience | Fee / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Years 7-9 | Day | — | £21,192 |
| Senior | Years 10-11 | Day | — | £24,810 |
| Sixth Form | Lower 6th | Day | — | £24,810 |
| Sixth Form | Upper 6th | Day | — | £24,810 |
Bristol Airport, approx. 45 miles from Cheltenham; Birmingham Airport is an alternative international gateway.
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Fees for Years 7–9 are £21,192 per year (2025/26), charged at £7,064 per term. From Year 10 through Upper Sixth, the annual fee is £24,000 (2025/26), at £8,270 per term. All fees are quoted inclusive of VAT where applicable.
The school admits pupils from age 11 (Year 7) through to age 18 (Upper Sixth). It is co-educational, so pupils of all genders are admitted across all year groups.
No. St Edward’s is a day school. International pupils are accommodated through homestay placements rather than on-site boarding houses. Pupils attend the full school day and return to host families each evening.
The school offers GCSEs in Years 10 and 11, followed by A-levels in the sixth form. There is no IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma or BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) provision listed in the current curriculum offer.
The school has approximately 375 pupils across all year groups from Year 7 to Upper Sixth. That scale supports small class sizes and a higher ratio of direct teacher contact per pupil.
Yes. The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), with the most recent inspection report published in 2025.
Bristol Airport is the nearest major international gateway, approximately 45 miles from Cheltenham. Birmingham Airport is a secondary option for families arriving from northern Europe or the Middle East. Road transfers from either airport to Cheltenham take roughly 60–90 minutes depending on traffic.
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