Community school · Gloucestershire

Hesters Way Primary School

4–11Ages
171Pupils
PrimaryPhase
131250URN

Dill Avenue, Cheltenham, GL51 0ES · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jan 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.7per place

0.8 below Gloucestershire median (2.5)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Gloucestershire

36 applications for 21 places · 116th of 148 in Gloucestershire

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

57%met the expected standard

Gloucestershire 63% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 6 January 2026Published 11 February 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Strong standard	Expected standard
Inclusion		Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching			Expected standard
Achievement			Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour			Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Strong standard
Early years		Strong standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Strong standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

6 January 2026
Report card · 4 Strong standard, 3 Expected standard
3 November 2021
Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.7applications per place, Reception

0.8 below Gloucestershire median (2.5) 0.5 below England median (2.2)

36 applications · 21 places offered · 18 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 1.7; Gloucestershire median median 2.5
2025 2.2; Gloucestershire median median 2.5
2024 2.1; Gloucestershire median median 2.6
2023 1.7; Gloucestershire median median 2.4
2022 1.8; Gloucestershire median median 2.3
2021 1.8; Gloucestershire median median 2.2
2020 1.4; Gloucestershire median median 2.2
2019 1.4; Gloucestershire median median 2.1
2018 1.8; Gloucestershire median median 2.3
2017 1.6; Gloucestershire median median 2.2
2016 2.6; Gloucestershire median median 2.5
2015 2.0; Gloucestershire median median 2.4
2014 2.3; Gloucestershire median median 2.3

This school
Gloucestershire median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	21	36	1.7	18	0.86
Sep 2025	22	49	2.2	18	0.82
Sep 2024	28	58	2.1	25	0.89
Sep 2023	23	39	1.7	19	0.83
Sep 2022	27	48	1.8	25	0.93
Sep 2021	19	34	1.8	15	0.79
Sep 2020	27	38	1.4	16	0.59
Sep 2019	28	40	1.4	18	0.64
Sep 2018	30	53	1.8	30	1.00
Sep 2017	30	48	1.6	23	0.77
Sep 2016	30	78	2.6	31	1.03
Sep 2015	30	60	2.0	24	0.80
Sep 2014	29	68	2.3	31	1.07

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 73% · Writing 67% · Maths 67% → all three 57% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard57%130th of 208 in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire 63% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard73%

Gloucestershire 80% England 78%

Higher standard13%

Gloucestershire 34% England 33%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard67%

Gloucestershire 74% England 75%

Greater depth10%

Gloucestershire 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard67%

Gloucestershire 77% England 77%

Higher standard27%

Gloucestershire 23% England 24%

Average scaled score 105 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Gloucestershire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	57%	7%	105	105
2023/24	50%	0%	103	102
2022/23	58%	0%	103	104

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Hesters Way Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

1.7applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Springbank Primary Academy
0.7 km · Gloucestershire

Good2023

1.9applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
Rowanfield Infant School
0.8 km · Gloucestershire

2026

1.8applications per place
Rowanfield Junior School
0.9 km · Gloucestershire

Standards maintained2025

67%met the SATs standard
St Thomas More Catholic Primary School
1.0 km · Gloucestershire

Good2023

1.7applications per place 33%met the SATs standard
Gloucester Road Primary School
1.6 km · Gloucestershire

Standards maintained2025

4.0applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
Gardners Lane Primary School
1.6 km · Gloucestershire

Remains Good · concerns noted2024

1.6applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Christ Church CofE Primary School
1.8 km · Gloucestershire

Outstanding2023

5.1applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
Swindon Village Primary School
2.1 km · Gloucestershire

Remains Good2023

2.8applications per place 73%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 131250 · 916/2178
Capacity: 210 pupils · 171 on roll
Free school meals: 53.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 1998
Address: Dill Avenue, Cheltenham, GL51 0ES
Local authority: Gloucestershire · Cheltenham

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources