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Reviewed

The Blue School

State school · Wells, BA5 2NR
  • Secondary
  • Co-ed
  • Ages 11-18
  • 1,435 pupils
We've reviewed this school • Unlock to access

Solid state option sailing serenely on within a sea of local independents. The emphasis is on motivation and enthusiasm, amply demonstrated by the range of subjects and activities on offer.

Why read our school review?

Unlike other websites, schools can't pay to be included in The Good Schools Guide. This means our review of this school is independent, critical and fair, and written with parents' best interests at heart.

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Overview & data

Pupil numbers
1,435 ·
Sixth form numbers
257 ·
Religion
C of E
Local authority
Somerset County Council

Headteacher

Head

Mark Woodlock

Since September 2017, Mark Woodlock, previously head of Teign School in Newton Abbot.

Entrance

Around 250 a year from local primary schools – mainly from within the city of Wells and surrounding villages. Oversubscribed and estate agents don't help this problem. Worth getting a map of the catchment area from the school.

At sixth form

Entry and exit data - year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Stoberry Park School 18 %
St Cuthbert's Church of England Junior School 17 %
Other 11 %
Where the number of students is less than 10, we cannot say where they've come from or where they are going to due to data protection rules.
St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School 8 %
Chewton Mendip Church of England VA Primary School 7 %
Horrington Primary School 7 %
Wookey Primary School 5 %
West Pennard Church of England Primary School 5 %
St Vigor & St John Church School 4 %
Unknown 4 %
Where the school a student attended before or after this school is not known. These might be students who have come from or going to home schooling, independent schools, moving abroad etc.
St Lawrence's CofE Primary School 4 %
Oakhill Church School 3 %
Priddy Primary School 3 %
Coxley Primary School 3 %
Croscombe Church of England Primary School 2 %
Data highlight

Exit

Over 50 per cent stay on to do A levels at sixth form (though weaker A level candidates encouraged to bail out if year 12 results disappoint) and, of those, about 80 per cent move on to higher or further education. Sometimes a smattering to Oxbrid

% students progressing to higher education or training (2021 leavers)

School
80%
LA avg.
53%
Eng. avg.
66%
Data highlight

What is this?

The proportion of 16-18 students that progressed to degrees, higher apprenticeships or other study at level 4 or above for at least 6 consecutive months in the 2 years after taking advanced level qualifications (level 3) at this school or college.

Latest results

In 2024, around 25 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; nearly 80 per cent A*-C at A level.

% of pupils achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
68%
LA avg.
61%
Eng. avg.
60%
Data highlight

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

% of pupils achieving AAB or higher, including at least 2 facilitating subjects (2024)

School
17%
LA avg.
13%
Eng. avg.
20%
Data highlight

What is this?

Facilitating A levels are ones that are commonly needed for entry to leading universities. They are: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, history, English literature and classical or modern languages. The % of pupils achieving AAB or higher may therefore decrease if many pupils have opted not to take two or more of the facilitating subjects mentioned.

Teaching & learning

A genuinely comprehensive school. Standards are high at GCSE and consistently good in the core subjects of English, maths and science. Concerns about provision for the less academic at GCSE have been addressed with entry level history and French,

Qualifications taken in 2024
  • A level
  • BTEC
  • EPQ
  • GCSE
81
Number of teachers
18:1
Pupil to teacher ratio

Learning support & SEN

SEN provision appears to be good, with close liaison between departments and the SENCo and a flexible approach. Pupils struggling with literacy are helped within class or withdrawn for small group work at behest of subject teachers; SENCo runs ass

2 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
15 %
Students with SEN support

Arts & extracurricular

Walking into the design technology block feels like entering an art school department – fabulous work and ambitious projects. Regularly wins design awards eg Arkwright Scholarships etc and has established close working links with local businesses

Sport

The presence of the sports development centre means that there is a huge choice available in addition to the traditional – including caving and rock climbing actively pursued in nearby Mendips – and the school produces a smattering of county playe

Ethos & heritage

Dates back to 1641 when it was established as a charitable foundation via the legacy of local churchman Ezekiel Barkham. The name was adopted over time owing to the blue dyed uniforms provided for the original pupils. A big school plonked in a spa

Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline

Although a church school, no overt signs of Christianity. An assembly every morning with hymn singing and reading from appropriate texts; however the format is guided by 'worthship' rather than worship. Achievement is valued – every opportunity is

Pupils & parents

Serves an area of generally advantaged, white, British, English-speaking households; the strong PTA reflects this and raises considerable sums for major purchases, eg a new minibus. Liaison with parents is good, with regular newsletters, meaningfu

1,435
Number of pupils

The last word

Solid state option sailing serenely on within a sea of local independents. The emphasis is on motivation and enthusiasm, amply demonstrated by the range of subjects and activities on offer.

Inspection reports

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Short inspection: Good

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good

This school has not provided any information yet

If you are from this school, please, get in touch to feature images and useful information for parents.

Contact the school

Address

Kennion Road
Wells
Somerset
BA5 2NR
Get directions

Telephone: 01749 678799

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.theblueschoolwells.co.uk

Local authority: Somerset County Council

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School data & information The Blue School Kennion Road, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2NR
1,435 Pupil numbers
257 Sixth form numbers
13 % % of pupils eligible for free school meals
7 % Pupils whose first language is not English
18:1 Pupil to teacher ratio
81 Number of teachers
21 Number of teaching assistants
Our review contains additional results data reported to us by The Blue School and is updated annually. See the review

% achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
68%
LA avg.
61%
Eng. avg.
60%

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

Average overall GCSE score (attainment 8) (2024)

School
48.00
LA avg.
42.70
Eng. avg.
44.20

What is this?

Schools get a score based on how well pupils have performed in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Improvement rates in core subjects (progress 8) (2024)

0.19 Score Above average
≈ 16% of schools in England

What is a progress score?

This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Subjects entered at GCSE level (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Spanish GCSE (9-1) Full Course 59 6
Religious Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 108 6
Physics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 41 7
Music GCSE (9-1) Full Course 23 4
Mathematics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 225 5
History GCSE (9-1) Full Course 115 6
Geography GCSE (9-1) Full Course 82 6
French GCSE (9-1) Full Course 41 6
English Literature GCSE (9-1) Full Course 216 6
English Language GCSE (9-1) Full Course 222 6
Drama & Theatre Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 38 7
Design & Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 105 6
D&T Food Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 49 5
Chemistry GCSE (9-1) Full Course 41 8
Biology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 41 7
Art & Design (Fine Art) GCSE (9-1) Full Course 69 6

% of pupils achieving AAB or higher, including at least 2 facilitating subjects (2024)

School
17%
LA avg.
13%
Eng. avg.
20%

What is this?

Facilitating A levels are ones that are commonly needed for entry to leading universities. They are: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, history, English literature and classical or modern languages. The % of pupils achieving AAB or higher may therefore decrease if many pupils have opted not to take two or more of the facilitating subjects mentioned.

Average points score (2024)

School
34.50
LA avg.
33.80
Eng. avg.
35.69

What is this?

These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.

Subjects entered at 16 to 18 (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Spanish GCE A level 7 B
Religious Studies GCE A level 20 C
Psychology GCE A level 37 C
Physics GCE A level 17 A
Mathematics GCE A level 32 B
History GCE A level 30 B
Government and Politics GCE A level 17 B
Geography GCE A level 20 B
English Literature GCE A level 11 C
Drama and Theatre Studies GCE A level 7 B
Design and Technology (Textiles Technology) GCE A level 15 A
Design and Technology (Product Design) GCE A level 20 B
Chemistry GCE A level 11 C
Biology GCE A level 19 C
Art and Design (Fine Art) GCE A level 19 A

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Year 12 entry (average 2020-2022)

Year 11 exit (average 2020-2022)

Year 13 exit

SEN overview

The Blue School is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

All students are encouraged to be as fully integrated into every aspect of the life of the school as possible. To help achieve this, The Blue provides classroom support and individual withdrawal sessions as appropriate. Teachers are also kept informed of particular students' difficulties which, in turn, enables a match between lesson content, teaching approaches and the needs of individuals. Individual Education Plans are used where appropriate to target specific learning or behavioural needs. This may involve one-to-one tuition or group work. Specialist teaching in the department is carried out by appropriately qualified staff. The school welcomes questions parents may have on any aspect of their children's special needs and endeavours to build an effective partnership with the home.

The school has a Student Support Centre for pupils with emotional difficulties. The Centre offers a range of creative strategies to enable pupils to be successful in school.

2 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 2%
15 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 12%

SEN conditons supported

No information available from the school. Find out more.

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Short inspection: Good

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good
Our data explained
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