Address: The Liberty, Wells, Somerset BA5 2ST
Website: www.wells.cathedral.school
Founded: 909 AD
Number of Pupils: Nursery 54, pre-prep and prep school 143, senior school 578
Ages: 2-18
Fees: (termly) Prep school from £3,873 day, £10,239 boarding; senior school from £8,539 day, £13,992 boarding
Head Teacher: Alastair Tighe
Religious Affiliation: Christian, all faiths welcome
Entrance Procedure: Non selective. Informal interview, Cognitive Ability Test, previous term reports and report from their current Head. Scholarship Days each January. Auditions for specialist music scheme
Contact: Jo Prestidge, Registrar; 01749 834200
Email: [email protected]
School Visits: Families are welcome all year, contact the admissions office for appointments. Open days are held in March, May and October
The Curriculum
Wells provides an innovative and bold curriculum with an Integrated Arts Programme, Modern Foreign Languages, STEM, a Specialist Music Scheme and a Specialist Maths Scheme. Offering over 25 subjects at GCSE and A level and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), around one third of senior school pupils are specialist musicians.
Games & the Arts
Wells believes sport is an integral part of school life and encourages all pupils to take part. Good representation at County level and above. They offer over 15 sport options and are proud to have been named home to one of the 10 most picturesque cricket grounds in Britain by Chief Cricket writer Scyld Berry at The Telegraph. Drama has a reputation for ambitious productions and they won the Independent School of the Year Award for Performing Arts in 2020. Art flourishes with regular exhibitions in their dedicated performance centre, Cedars Hall. Wells was a Finalist for Co-Educational School in 2021 and Highly Commended for their Pre-Prep in 2022 at the Independent School of the Year Awards.
Pastoral Care
Wells aims to provide all pupils with a family environment within a kind and caring community where they can be happy, healthy and, most importantly, who they are. With the mixed day and boarding houses, this warm atmosphere extends into the day-to-day life of every pupil making Wells not just a school but a home.
University Places
Over 80 per cent to Russell Group, 5 per cent to Oxbridge, 25 per cent to one of the world’s leading music conservatoires (we have a 100 per cent success rate for musicians applying to conservatoires).
Head Teacher’s Philosophy
Our motto esto quod es – ‘Be what you are’ – powerfully represents our school’s belief in the individuality of each pupil, who grow and become the very best version of themselves. We encourage every Wellensian to be curious and open-minded, to develop their character in a positive way, and to nurture existing passions and discover new ones.
We want all our leavers to be future members of society who have the courage to challenge prejudice, the compassion and humility to accept difference, the ability to be innovative thinkers, and the confidence to know they have received a principled and forward-thinking education grounded in timeless values.
Outstanding Characteristics
Wells has been described by the Good Schools Guide and the Daily Telegraph as being the loveliest place of learning in the UK. The school’s buildings include medieval halls, and a state-of-the-art concert hall. Wells is one of just four specialist music schools in England, and is utterly unique as the only specialist music school in the world in the context of an all-round school.
