Wells Cathedral School A GSG School
- Wells Cathedral School
The Liberty
Wells
Somerset
BA5 2ST - Head: Alastair Tighe
- T 01749 834200
- F 01749 834201
- E main-office@wells…thedral-school.com
- W wells.cathedral.school
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 2 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Somerset
- Pupils: 777; sixth formers: 199
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Day £9,336 - £24,558; Boarding £24,828 - £40,029 pa
- Open days: See website
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
How could we start with anything other than the music? Wells is one of only five specialist music schools in the UK. Snatches of melody could be heard wherever we walked: the lunchtime concert in the medieval Quilter Hall (named for a previous headmaster, rather than a bygone artisan). School motto is Esto quod es - be what you are, a medieval injunction adopted by the school only in the 19th century. The head assured us that this is not some complacent mantra for contemporary snowflakes...
What the school says...
Wells Cathedral School is unique. It is: a co-educational day and boarding school with high academic standards, one of the five specialist music schools in the UK recognised by the DfE Music & Dance Scheme, and a cathedral choir school. Qualities of leadership and confidence are developed in all our students within a creative environment. Wells is a school where people can discover and be themselves to the very best of their abilities. Wells provides an inspiring education, set in a musically-alive and beautiful environment, as a brilliant foundation for life.
Individual visits welcome at any time, by appointment. ...Read more
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Curricula
Cambridge Pre-U - an alternative to A levels, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.
Other features
Music and dance scheme - government funding and grants available to help with fees at selected independent music and dance schools.
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Choir school - substantial scholarships and bursaries usually available for choristers.
International Study Centre - school has a linked, international study centre for overseas students wishing to improve their English.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2018 Alastair Tighe MA (early 40s). Very much a product of the kind of school he now heads, Mr Tighe’s career is distinguished not only by its musical but by its academic eminence also. Scholarships both to Downside and to Cambridge for a degree in English and theology preceded teaching and housemasterly posts at Oundle, where he won his teaching spurs on the (then) Graduate Teaching Scheme. Appointments to other notable independent schools (Eltham College, Bedford) followed, leading eventually to Wells Cathedral School, a place Mr Tighe had been aware of since his musical youth. And what attracted him to it, other than the obvious draw of the music? ‘The history, the traditions, the family feel,’ he told us, then more thoughtfully, ‘Respect and humility in the face of many talents. The school...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
SEN provision is individually tailored to the needs of the pupil, ranging from differentiation by subject teachers to classroom support and one-to-one tuition. Very able mathematicians are extracted from lessons for enrichment work with a visiting Mathematics Professor and talented musicians are provided for within the specialist strand of the DfES Music and Dance Scheme.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter Cathedral School | 2023 | 1 | 1 | 1 Specialist Music Award |
| Hazlegrove School | 2023 | 1 |
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