Cheltenham Ladies' College

Cheltenham Ladies’ College stands in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, as a private boarding and day school for girls aged 11 and over. Founded in 1853, it was created to give girls a strong academic education at a time when few such opportunities existed. The school’s badge shows two martlets above three stars and a daisy, taken from the town’s coat of arms. It is often compared to Eton but for girls, and remains one of the most respected all-girls schools in the world. The college belongs to the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference and holds a leading place in British education. The school is worth the journey for its long record of academic success and influence. In recent years over two thirds of A-level grades and about ninety per cent of GCSE grades have been A* or A. It has been named Southwest Independent School of the Decade and appears among the world’s top 150 schools. Dorothea Beale, a noted suffragist and educator, led the college for nearly fifty years and helped shape its traditions. The Parabola Arts Centre, opened by Sir Richard Eyre, hosts major festivals and performances each year. A visitor finds eleven boarding houses and two day-girl houses, each with its own character. Music and drama flourish with over a thousand instrumental lessons every week and a professional recording studio. Sports facilities include a 25-metre pool, netball and tennis courts, AstroTurf pitches and two sports halls. More than thirty sports are offered, from rowing and equestrian teams to netball and hockey. The Health and Fitness Centre opened in 2018, and over 160 co-curricular activities run alongside the academic programme.