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Welcome to Balcarras School

Thank you very much for taking the time to visit the Balcarras Sixth Form website. I do hope that you find all the information that you are looking for and they give you a flavour of our outstanding provision and facilities.Our Sixth form is built around 2 core elements:Academic ExcellenceAn Enjoyable and Enriching Experience In addition to this, a range of other relevant resources are available on our website, including an overview of post-16 progress and attainment at Balcarras, a range of short films introducing each subject we offer at A-level, and a Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) document which addresses key questions. We also have information on the application process. Please do check for updates. If you do have any additional questions that I can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact me at dl@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk Mr D LeatherbarrowHead of Balcarras Sixth Form

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Boarding Type

No Boarder

School Type

Academy converter

Suitable Ages

11 to 18

Gender

Mixed

No. of Students

1,429 Total

No. of Boys

696 (48.7%)

No. of Girls

733 (51.3%)


Academic Excellence

GCSE Results

Latest Examination

31.8%

Students achieving A*/A grades (9/8/7)

A-Level Results

Sixth Form Performance

A* grades

8.07%

A*/A grades

29.98%


Leavers' Destinations

Destinations after GCSEs

Staying in education

95%

School

79%

England

Apprenticeships

3%

School

3%

England

Further education

School:9%
England:51%

School sixth form

School:73%
England:19%

Sixth form college

School:11%
England:7%

Other education destinations

School:1%
England:2%

Destinations after A-Levels

UK higher education

N/A

School

1%

England

Apprenticeships

N/A

School

19%

England

Higher education or training

School:N/A
England:63%

Further education

School:N/A
England:4%

Employment

School:N/A
England:35%

Not sustained in education/employment

School:N/A
England:26%


Exciting Events Ahead!

A detailed admissions process on ApplicaaOne is coming soon.

Please see our website for more information on our admissions process.


Admissions Process

Start Application
Jan 2026Feb 2026Mar 2026Apr 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jul 2026Aug 2026Sep 2026

Sixth Form Open Evening

Application Window

Consultation Meetings

Conditional Offer

Induction Day

GCSE Results Day and Confirmation of Place

First Day of Y12

Key Dates & Deadlines

Jan 15, 2026

Sixth Form Open Evening

Jan 16, 2026

Application Form Live Online

Feb 6, 2026

Application Deadline

Jun 30, 2026

Induction Day

Aug 20, 2026

GCSE Results Day and Confirmation of Place

Sep 2, 2026

First Day of Y12


Term Dates & Half-Term Holidays

Planning ahead for school holidays? Below are the term dates and half-term dates for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Autumn

2 terms

Half Term 1

Sep 1 - Oct 24

Half Term 2

Nov 3 - Dec 19

Spring

2 terms

Half Term 1

Jan 5 - Feb 13

Half Term 2

Feb 23 - Mar 27

Summer

2 terms

Half Term 1

Apr 13 - May 22

Half Term 2

Jun 1 - Jul 20

Half-Term & Holiday Dates

Autumn Half Term

Oct 27 - Oct 31

Christmas Holiday

Dec 20 - Jan 2

Spring Half Term

Feb 14 - Feb 22

Easter Holiday

Mar 28 - Apr 12

May Half Term

May 23 - May 29


Alumni Stories

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Laura Coote

September 2007

University

“I really enjoyed my time at Balcarras and look back at my memories fondly. I’m still friends with the group of people I met in school, and we’ve stayed close through the university years and now during our work lives. My teachers at Balcarras were so supportive and helped me achieve the grades I needed to go to Uni. I studied a psychology degree at Cardiff University, then I worked as an assistant psychologist in Buckinghamshire and London, before completing a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I now live in a village by the sea south of Cardiff city and work as a clinical psychologist with young people in care and with pregnant women and their babies. I have a little sausage dog and have recently had a baby boy. We spend time at the beach, in forests and swimming in the cold sea!”

Hannah Shellem

September 2014

Employed

“I very much enjoyed my time at Balcarras, all my teachers were incredibly enthusiastic, and I felt very supported in my studies. One of the highlights was my trip to Orleans which helped me improve my French greatly. I now work in the City at Marsh (insurance brokerage firm) and am thoroughly enjoying it. I joined on the graduate scheme 4 years ago and am still enjoying my time! Prior to this as part of my degree I worked at Marsh for a year. I have always had an interest in international businesses and my role now involves working with offices in Canada, South Africa, Australia, Peru, to name a few.”

Callum Bates

September 2020

University

“During my time at Balcarras, I was involved in lots of extracurricular activities, from playing rugby and football to starring in the school productions. These experiences were invaluable to me. Currently, I am studying for a master’s in biomedical science at the University of Birmingham. I have continued pursuing my rugby interests and have been the university’s club president for the last year. I have also been working for Movember to help the fantastic charity make a difference globally. The lessons I learnt at Balcarras have shaped me into the person I am today, and I will be forever grateful.”


Enrichment Activities

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Every Wednesday afternoon all Year 12 students take part in a sporting or other ‘enrichment’ activity. This is a compulsory part of the curriculum, and the aim is for every student to do some form of physical exercise which they enjoy. Each student selects from a wide range of activities, which varies from term to term.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
Speaker Sessions
Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award

About School

RegionSouth West
Local AuthorityGloucestershire
Ofsted RatingOutstanding
Gender TypeMixed