Cheltenham, Muscat

In Brief

If you want a branded British school with strong GCSE results and a direct link to a well-known UK institution, Cheltenham Muscat is worth looking at closely. Fees are higher than most Muscat British schools, so self-funding families should run the numbers before committing.

Cheltenham Muscat sits in a distinct category among Muscat's British schools: it carries the name and heritage of Cheltenham College UK, founded in 1841, and that connection is genuine rather than cosmetic. Staff from Cheltenham College UK visit regularly, and the school participates in the broader Cheltenham College family network. It opened in Muscat relatively recently and is still building its community, but the 2025 GCSE results - double the UK average proportion of Grade 9s and of Grades 9-7 combined - suggest the academic programme is settling in well.

The campus is in Al Bandar, which sits closer to the Seeb end of Muscat. For families in MSQ or Qurum, that is a meaningful commute. The school runs specialist subject teaching from Grade 4 across all subjects, which is less common among competitors at that age band. Co-curricular activities are broad, and the school hosted the BSME Games in 2025, which indicates it is investing in its regional sporting profile. Richard Snape is Principal; families report the admissions process as welcoming and well-organised.

Fees run from OMR 3,899 in KG1 to OMR 8,111 in the Sixth Form - among the higher end for Muscat British schools when compared with AGS, and approaching but below BSM's senior fees. The application fee (OMR 150) and assessment fee (OMR 200) are standard. As a newer school, Cheltenham Muscat does not yet have the multi-year track record of BSM or the IB pedigree of ABA, which is worth factoring in if your child is heading toward a Sixth Form transition.