Number of pupils: 560
Percentage of boarders: 50%
Percentage of international pupils: 20%
Av. class-sizes: senior school: 14 // 6th form: 10
Closest international airport: Bristol Airport 30mins by car
Fees per term in 2023/2024: £13,343
The school offers GCSEs and A-Levels.
Wells Cathedral School is relatively non-selective. In 2023 the school achieved a very decent 42% A-grades at A Level and 52% 9-7 grades at GCSE.
As a specialist music school, Wells Cathedral School naturally caters to pupils gifted in music, but has great academic breadth and depth in other departments. The maths provision is especially strong thanks to the school's Specialist Maths Scheme!
Languages on offer are German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Italian and French.
50% of pupils board. All the boarding houses are beautiful medieval or eighteenth century buildings with gardens for the boarders' own use.
Exeat weekends exist but are not compulsory.
The music - obviously! Yes, the music is special indeed here. With first-class orchestras, ensembles, choirs and many opportunities to learn and perform offered by the nine performance faculties: brass, composition, choristers, jazz, keyboard, percussion, strings, vocals and woodwind. The stunning new Cedars Hall offers a world class concert venue.
Given the school's specialism in music, the extracurricular offer at Wells Cathedral School is very good! Sports is strong with hockey, tennis, football and swimming the stand-outs.
Wells Cathedral School is known as a very inclusive school, both when it comes to welcoming international pupils and getting everyone involved in music, sports and other extracurricular activities. So, you don't need to be the next Mozart to be able to play music here!
The school's location in the heart of Wells, a beautiful, safe and interesting town in county Somerset is a huge strength.
Wells Cathedral School's boarding houses are beautiful but in need of an upgrade. The school is planning renovation work on all major houses over the next two years.