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By Former Member of Staff - reviewed on 22nd Sep 2009This school has a good atmosphere but has had its moments with staff scandals. ... read review
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School Profile
Set on a beautiful 50-acre site on the edge of Cheltenham town, Dean Close is a long-standing co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 13-18. Also situated on the site are Dean Close Pre-preparatory and Preparatory Schools who share the huge array of facilities on offer.
Tim Hastie-Smith has been Headmaster of Dean Close since 1998 and was this year elected to the prestigious position of Chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference for 2008/09, the first Chairman from Cheltenham in the HMC's 100 year history.
The School believes that education is as much about building character and relationships as it is about gaining knowledge. Visitors regularly comment on the atmosphere, saying how warm and friendly they find it, with good relations between staff and pupils. It is felt that this positive environment can be attributed directly to the Christian heart and principles of the School.
Dean Close is an incredibly busy place; this year the Chapel Choir travelled to New York, geographers to Morocco, classicists to Greece, divers to Egypt and explorers to Iceland. The School's theatre company performed, yet again, at the Edinburgh Festival with elite Sell-out Status achieved over the last four years.
With some 490 pupils, the School is small enough to allow everyone to know one another and to feel valued. It also allows everyone to get fully involved in the life of the School. Support and encouragement comes from many people within the community, but the powerful tutorial system means that every boy and girl is mentored and nurtured by an adult whom they get to know well.
On the other hand, the School is large enough to have an extremely strong boarding community, vibrant and exciting creative arts, a remarkable sporting reputation and impressive academic results. Expectations are high and yet pupils are constantly encouraged to make the most of every day (Carpe Diem is the School's unofficial motto). This summer's A level examination results broke School records, with 81% of all grades being A or B and an overall pass rate of 100%, enabling a high percentage of pupils to attain their first choice university, 16 of which were to Oxford or Cambridge.
Each year the School invests funds in to its already impressive facilities. Most recently the focus has been on boarding, with almost £7m invested in new and improved accommodation over the last six years. The provision of a brand new £3m sports hall and two new hockey pitches has also taken place in the last two years.
It is a combination of these factors along with the 35 years of co-education experience that makes Dean Close the special place it is.
School Criteria
Independent private co-educational day/boarding school in Gloucestershire, England. 12 to 18, 492+ pupils, C of E.ISN Rankings
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Address
Dean Close School
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire,
GL51 6HE
England
Local Roadmap | Aerial Photo
Tel: 01242 258000
Fax: 01242 258003
E-mail: E-mail Dean Close School | Request Prospectus
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