About us

The Dean Close Foundation has one simple aim; to see every member of its community flourish.

The Foundation is a growing, vibrant and diverse family of schools and nurseries, uniting around a shared vision and values. These spring from the origins of Dean Close School, which was founded in 1886 in memory of Dean Francis Close, Rector of Cheltenham and educational philanthropist. The Christian ethos of that original school continues today and underpins the values of courage, contribution and love which are the guiding principles behind our educational vision.

The Foundation structure is designed to ensure that the Head of each school is able to focus on provision of the highest quality education and that he or she knows each child and family personally. We are able to get the benefits of being both small and large at the same time: our schools and nurseries are small enough for every individual to count and every contribution to be valued, while the Foundation itself is large enough to provide financial stability, professional expertise and strategic planning.

The community of friends and supporters of the Foundation is wide and wonderfully diverse; we are fortunate to have a wealth of highly supportive alumni, former staff and parents who remain loyal and committed to supporting us long after they have moved on themselves. We aim to provide opportunities for these friends to stay in touch with the schools and with one another, recognising that this sense of identity and belonging is a vital part of human flourishing.

We aim to have an impact for good on our world, locally, regionally and internationally, and we are developing a range of exciting partnerships, from Cheltenham to Chengdu, which enhance the lives of young people both in the Foundation and in the partner schools.