Wells Cathedral School
15 The Liberty, Wells, BA5 2ST
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Christian
- Headteacher
- Mr Alastair Tighe
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Religious ethos
- Church of England
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Wells and Mendip Hills
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 800
- Pupils on roll
- 670
- URN
- 123916
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01749834200
About this school
Wells Cathedral School is a Christian independent school in Wells. It teaches children aged 2 to 19 and has 670 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Wells Cathedral School under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Wells Cathedral School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1955, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 94 | 93 | 86 |
| Attainment 8 score | 26.4 | 29.0 | 29.9 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Wells Cathedral School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Somerset average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 26.4 | 36.1 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 29 | 34 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 29.9 | 32.3 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 777 |
| 2023/24 | 780 |
| 2024/25 | 734 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 13
- Pupils on SEN support
- 247
Location
Nearby schools
-
Millfield Preparatory School5.4 miles
Independent schools · Glastonbury
-
Tor School6.1 miles
Local authority maintained schools · Glastonbury
-
The Mendip School6.4 miles
Free Schools · Shepton Mallet
-
Abbot's Way School6.9 miles
Special schools
-
Downside School7.0 miles
Independent schools · Radstock
Other schools in Wells
- Coxley Primary School Primary
- Croscombe Church of England Primary School Primary
- Horrington Primary School Primary
- Priddy Primary School Primary
- St Cuthbert's Church of England Academy Infants and Pre-School Primary
- St Cuthbert's Church of England Junior School Primary
- St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School Primary
- St Lawrence's CofE Primary School Primary
- Stoberry Park School Primary
- Wookey Primary School Primary
- The Blue School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Wells Cathedral School teach?
- Wells Cathedral School teaches children aged 2 to 19. It is an independent school in Wells.
- Who is the headteacher of Wells Cathedral School?
- The headteacher of Wells Cathedral School is Mr Alastair Tighe, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Wells Cathedral School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Wells Cathedral School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Wells Cathedral School?
- Wells Cathedral School has 670 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 19.
- Is Wells Cathedral School full?
- Wells Cathedral School has capacity for 800 pupils and 670 on roll (84%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Wells Cathedral School a faith school?
- Yes. Wells Cathedral School is designated Christian.
- Is Wells Cathedral School a selective school?
- No. Wells Cathedral School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- How have Wells Cathedral School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 26.4 in 2022/23 and 29.9 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Wells Cathedral School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Wells Cathedral School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.