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A community that is passionate about your future
Welcome to Cheltenham Ladies’ College Sixth Form – where we celebrate every pupil as an individual, empowering you to take ownership of your future.
As the world evolves and people adapt to new challenges, the curriculum at CLC looks to prepare our pupils for careers and jobs that don’t yet exist. We value the ability to think, problem solve, debate, express thoughts, read and interpret sources, critically evaluate viewpoints and understand the world through the thoughts of others – all skills vital for the modern world.
As a Sixth Former, you’ll be at the heart of College life: learning, volunteering, mentoring and taking on leadership roles. We encourage your independence but you can also rely on the full support of our dedicated teaching and pastoral staff as you navigate this transformative time.
At CLC, we believe that true success comes from nurturing well-rounded individuals who are confident, resilient and ready to embrace the challenges ahead. We’re excited to see you grow into an empowered young woman ready to make your mark on the world, and we look forward to supporting you every step of the way.
CLC is immensely unique in being able to support pupils in anything they want to do. Not a lot of schools have the ability and resources to do that, it’s rather remarkable. Current CLC Parent
Academic routes
co-curricular
Destinations and Higher Ed
Facilities
At CLC, we value choice and encourage you to pick an academic route that’s right for you, your strengths and your aspirations. We recognise that different programmes suit different learners and you’ll have the option to study either A Level or the IB Diploma Programme.
A Level A Levels are long-standing, subject-based qualifications in the UK. Students who opt for A Levels usually take three or four subjects, with the optimum number depending on the individual student. As part of the A Level route, we run a bespoke ‘Skills for Academic Learning’ course which supports students with vital academic skills such research, discursive writing and critical thinking, and we also offer the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). At A Level, we design the timetable around your choices, rather than pre-assigned blocks. This provides you with the flexibility to choose the right combination for you.
A level A* & A
77.8
%
(2020-2024)
National average 34%
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
CLC Sixth Formers can alternatively opt for the increasingly popular IB Diploma, a well-recognised international qualification with a university-style approach to learning. There is an emphasis on broad education and transferable skills, characterised by the IB Learner Profile.
IB Average Points Score
(2020-2024)
International averge 31.2
40.5
%
The curriculum consists of a ‘core’ which embodies the IB philosophy and subjects from each of six groups (three studied at higher level, and three at standard level). Core: Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Action and Service
Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature – most girls will study English Literature
Group 2: Language Acquisition – a second language
Group 3: Individuals and Societies – the Humanities
Group 4: Sciences
Group 5: Mathematics
Group 6: The Arts (or an additional subject from Groups 2-4)
A CLC, we encourage each student to strike a successful balance between academic and co-curricular activities. Visiting speakers, clubs and socials enrich your time at CLC, providing balance and breadth. Outside of the classroom, we offer over 160 co-curricular activities which we adapt according to requests and interest, and thoroughly encourage all our students to ‘have a go’ to help them find their passions.
Some popular co-curriculars include: Amnesty International, Badminton, Biotech, Book Club, Choir, Climbing, Cookery, Darkroom Photography, Debating, Environmental Society, Ethical Hacking, Feminism Society, Hockey, Jazz Band, LAMDA, Marine Biology, Model UN, Netball, Percussion Club, Rowing, Sign Language, Spin, String Serenaders, Symphony Orchestra, Tennis, Theatre Tech Club, Yoga.
There is no doubt that CLC produces good grades, but it is by no means the only school to do so. What sets CLC apart is that it manages to foster the ambition in its pupils to realise their own best potential. Current CLC Parent
It’s difficult to appreciate the world unless you immerse yourself in the task of making it a better place.
This is a commitment that College and the students here take seriously, dedicating over 3,200 hours to volunteering in the community each year.
Pupils take part in activities ranging from reading to children in schools and performing music at care homes, to mentoring refugees and sorting stock at the local food bank. Local causes benefit from this voluntary work, but so do those taking part – pupils learn to value, serve and enrich their communities in a way that will stay with them forever.
Mental and emotional wellbeing have never been more important, and it’s something we are committed to supporting at CLC.
We know that supporting and protecting students’ wellbeing not only helps them to develop into well-rounded, resilient young people, but it also goes hand in hand with academic progress.
Whether a day girl or a boarder, we aim to create an understanding and compassionate environment which enables each individual to thrive, develop their own hopes and ambitions, and prepare them for the future in which they will live and work beyond College.
Community Links
Wellbeing and Pastoral
Our students consistently achieve outstanding academic results with many going on to prestigious worldwide universities across the UK, US and beyond, and exciting careers.
The Professional Guidance Centre, or PGC Hub, supports you through this process, running a comprehensive programme of support including careers talks, university fairs, mock interviews, conferences, networking dinners, skills sessions and CV workshops. We offer dedicated Global University advisors with specific expertise in supporting applications to international universities – particularly the US – alongside top UK destinations, including specialist provision for highly academic destinations such as Oxbridge. CLC leavers go on to a huge variety of destinations having been supported by the PGC Hub to find the right next step for them and their aspirations.
Upon leaving College, you’ll remain part of the CLC community, joining Guild, our 9,000-strong alumnae network spanning 80 different countries, offering its own programme of events and support.
590
+
since 2020
students to THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES worldwide
Since 2020
offers from Oxbridge & Ivy League
Since 2020
since 2020
100
+
30
+
Offers From
Us Colleges
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Life as a Sixth Former
IB Makes Me
We offer over 20 subjects at A Level, typically including: Fine Art (Art and Design), Biology, Chemistry, Classics (Greek & Latin), Computer Science, Drama and Theatre, Economics, English Literature, French, Geography, German, History, History of Art, Italian, Mandarin, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Spanish.
Next Steps
Complete a registration form
Submit a handwritten essay
(We’ll send you more information when
we’ve received your registration form)
Choose your subjects and submit
these on the Entrance Exam Form
Take the entrance exams at CLC
Receive an offer of a place
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to TEWKESBURY and M5 NORTH Junciton 10
A40 to GLOUCESTER and M5 Jucntion 11a
RAILWAY STATION
A40 to OXFORD and LONDON
Parking
Entrance
Entrance
CLC Health & fitness centre
Well place sport
Main Campus entrance
Parabola Arts Centre
gransden
porters' lodge
The Church
Royal house
Bayshill Court
ST HILDA'S
BEALE
ELIZABETH
RODERIC
CAMBRAY
BAYSHILL HOUSE
EVERSLEIGH
ST HELEN'S
GLENLEE
FARNLEY LODGE
SIDNEY LODGE AT BUNWELL
ST austin's
ST Margaret's
Main College site
Almost all our academic facilities and classrooms are housed on one site, and it is here that you’ll do most of your timetabled lessons.
The first CLC building was built here in the 1860s and you’ll notice a range of architecture through the decades from the Victorian gothic grandeur of the science and music blocks, through to the modern, glass Art and EET block.
Our main hall, the Princess Hall, is located on this site, and you’ll gather here regularly for Prayers (our morning assembly). You’ll also find the Library and the PGC Hub here.
Health and Fitness Centre (HFC)
Featuring a 58-station fitness gym, two sports halls, a climbing wall, a 25m swimming pool, studios and squash courts, the HFC offers outstanding facilities to support sport at CLC. Our approach to PE and sport is based on physical literacy, where the focus is on improving our pupils’ ability to make physical activity an integral part of their life during and beyond College.
Alongside the more traditional sports of hockey, lacrosse and netball – which are played throughout the Autumn and Spring Terms – we offer tennis, rowing, squash, skiing, equestrian, fencing, football, swimming and athletics run all year round. On top of these, we offer dance clubs, exercise classes including spin and yoga, an outdoor education/activities programme, and a wide range of recreational clubs such as volleyball and badminton.
Parabola Arts Centre
Opened in 2009, our theatre has a capacity of over 300 and is an excellent space for conferences, debates and drama and dance performances, which have recently included Grease and Sleeping Beauty. The building also features a stunning gallery space to showcase student work from our Art department, and our Higher and Extended Project Qualifications.
Cheltenham
Our location means you’re never too far from central Cheltenham, its beautiful parks and thriving town centre, or from the idylic rolling hills of the Cotswolds. Sixth Formers have the flexibility to walk into town in free periods and are encouraged to make the most of the year-round programme of Festivals which regularly attract world-renowned speakers and performers.
Main Campus + More
Boarding Houses
Day House
Boarding
Whether you are new to College or have been at CLC for five years, everyone has a new house when they join Sixth Form.
Our five Senior Boarding Houses (for 16–18 year olds) are situated in a residential area between the main College site and the Health and Fitness Centre. Each one has its own unique personality and atmosphere, but they all offer comparable facilities: single bedrooms, dining rooms, common rooms, prep rooms, computer rooms, space for music practice and laundry facilities.
Beale
Cambray
Elizabeth Roderic St Hilda’s
DAY
Our Sixth Form Day House, Bayshill, is located on the main College site, giving easy access to all of the academic facilities.
Bayshill is open from 7.00am – 7.00pm Monday to Friday (7.00am – 2.00pm on Saturdays). Lunch is served in Bayshill Court Dining Room on Parabola Road, or students can opt to visit friends in a boarding house for lunch. Occasional boarding is available to Bayshill students, with the option to board either on an ad hoc basis, or regularly up to two nights a week (charges apply, and include board, dinner and breakfast). Visit link to our Transport page for more information about our bus service for day students.
The walking time from the Main Campus to the CLC Health & Fitness centre is 10 - 15 minutes.
Junior Boarding Junior Day Senior Boarding Senior Day Walking route for students Walking route for visitiors
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