Choosing a Sixth Form is one of the most important decisions a family makes. We believe you should be able to make it with confidence, and now there is independent, government-verified data to help.
The Department for Education’s latest school comparison data ranks Cheltenham College in the top 5% of all schools nationally for academic progress in the Sixth Form, ahead of every one of our direct competitors.
A progress score measures how much students grow academically between their GCSEs and their A-levels – relative to what would be expected based on their starting point. It is one of the most meaningful measures of a school’s genuine educational impact, because it goes beyond raw results to ask: what difference did this school actually make?
Being ranked in the top 5% nationally means that Cheltenham College Sixth Form pupils consistently exceed expectations.
This is not a self-reported figure or a privately commissioned survey. It is published by the Department for Education and covers all state and independent schools in England.
Wherever your son or daughter begins their Sixth Form journey, the evidence shows they are more likely to exceed their own potential here than almost anywhere else in the country. That is the promise we make – and now it is independently measured.
Teaching that knows your child
Pastoral care that holds steady
Breadth, not just results
Sixth Formers at College have a different rhythm to the rest of the school – more independence, more responsibility, and a community that treats them as young adults preparing for what comes next. Whether boarding or day, it is a chapter where students find out who they are before they decide what they want to do.
Click here to find out more about Sixth Form at Cheltenham College.
In 2025, our pupils progressed to leading universities including Exeter, Bristol, Nottingham, Cardiff, Reading and UCL – studying subjects ranging from Business Management and Marketing to Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Politics, History, International Relations, Economics, Sport and Fashion.
Over the past decade, our Sixth Formers have gone on to a consistent set of destinations – Exeter, Bath, Newcastle, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, St Andrews, Leeds, Durham, Southampton and the Royal Agricultural University among them – alongside around 25 Oxbridge applications each year, with four to six offers typically secured.
Each path is shaped by genuine guidance rather than a single expected route.
"Our Sixth Form students don't just achieve - they grow. The progress they make reflects the quality of our teaching, the strength of our pastoral support, and the ambition of every student who walks through our doors."
Speak to our Admissions team to find out more about life at Cheltenham Prep and Cheltenham College. Whether you have a question, would like to arrange a visit or are ready to begin the admissions process, we are here to support you every step of the way.
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