Military Families
Welcome
As the son of a Royal Navy officer who was fortunate to benefit from government funds which allowed me to attend boarding school, I have appreciated at first hand just how important such support is. Boarding provided me with stability, the chance to make lasting friends and the security to know that my schooling would remain consistent even if our home was relocated. It gave me the confidence to know that my school experience would be the same as that of contemporaries whose parents worked in other fields.
I know from personal experience that the pastoral care which we are able to offer as a boarding school in such a beautiful and safe place as Wells is particularly reassuring and formative for children of service personnel. I look forward to welcoming you to the School so you can find out more about the education we offer all our pupils here, and from which your own children could especially benefit.
Mr Alastair Tighe Head Master
About Our School
Wells Cathedral School has a long history of welcoming families from the Armed Services. We are a family-orientated co-educational boarding and day school for 2-18 year olds that provides an all-round education alongside world-class Specialist Music and Chorister training. We have around 730 pupils in the School. We offer boarding from Year 4, and the Senior School has 61% day and boarders (39%).
Our mission is to inspire every individual pupil to nurture their talents and develop an all-round character in a vibrant, creative,
spiritual and stimulating atmosphere to become a responsible global citizen. We have been inspiring pupils for more than 1,100 years and our aim remains loyal to our Latin motto Esto QuodEs (Be What You Are).
We are located in the heart of the medieval, cathedral city of Wells, the smallest city in England with one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the UK. With a small population of only 12,000, we are surrounded by wonderful countryside where our children can enjoy fresh air, green fields, open spaces and freedom in a safe environment.
Boarding Life
Our Boarding Houses provide family and community life in a beautiful setting. We realise Wells is a home away from home for our boarders and recognise how important it is to make them feel comfortable and secure. We encourage our boarders to take advantage of our many opportunities; by getting involved in our activities, our pupils develop a ‘can do’ attitude that helps them grow as people and as part of a team. Our youngest boarders (Years 4-8)
live in Claver Morris, a beautiful co-educational House that is small enough to maintain a family feel and yet large enough for a range of friendships to develop. From Year 9, we have six single-sex Houses that integrate 25-45 boarding pupils with designated day pupils who come together for events and competitions. Ritchie House is our bespoke, coeducational House for Upper Sixth pupils designed to provide a stepping stone from school life to university.
“Pastoralcarewasvotedoutstandingbyallwespoketo” ~ Good Schools Guide
Our Prep School offers a creative and challenging curriculum to inspire our children to become problem-solvers and to take risks from early in their school careers. All children are encouraged to develop teamwork and leadership skills, make friends and have fun. Upon joining the Senior School in Year 7, pupils are given increasingly more responsibility for their learning - with the support of our Tutors, Heads of Year and House staff - as we recognise that pupils need to develop the skills required to become independent. In addition to our core GCSE curriculum, pupils choose three subjects from a range of 13 options. Our GCSE results have been consistently high with pupils prepared for Sixth Form life. Most of our Sixth Formers are expected to start with four subjects and leave with three A levels. Our 26 A level options span the arts, sciences and humanities, and there is also the option of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Achieving excellent results, the vast majority of our leavers go onto their first choice university or conservatoire.
Success is not simply measured by end results but is defined by how well your children have grown in their intellectual, emotional, social and ethical development during their time here at Wells. For more information about our results and the destinations of our leavers please see our website.
What Our Parents Say
“My children are currently all Boarders at Claver Morris. When we first looked around the school, we immediately knew that the opportunities and experiences our children would have, would be just what we wanted for them. It was, however, the boarding house that gave us the certainty that this was the school for our family. The brilliant staff provide us with the comfort and confidence that our children are supported and cared for. They have been nurtured and encouraged, made wonderful friends and frequently refer to the house as home. Clare Rowntree and her amazing team have embraced our family, showing constant understanding and kindness and we couldn’t have asked for a better boarding experience. The children’s weekends are full of activities, without being over scheduled or over stimulating. They get to be children, playing games, baking and exercising, learning new skills, watching movies in what can only be described as a warm, family environment.”
– Military parent
“The team of boarding staff could not be more caring and supportive. They go above and beyond to look after each child to meet their individual needs. Their support ranges from lifting the children’s spirits with creating dance routines, roasting marshmallows on the fire pit, finding roles for them to support older siblings at rugby games, to arranging ring fenced time to chat during difficult times, such as a parent being away for an extended period. We continue to be incredibly grateful to the whole boarding community at Wells – thank you so much.”
– Military parent
Music
We are unique in being the only Specialist Music School in England within the setting of an all-round independent school. This allows us to cater for musicians of exceptional talent on specifically designed programmes that puts music at the centre of Specialist Musicians’ daily school routines, but it also enables us to be able to provide a very broad range of musical opportunities for
those pupils who pursue music as a hobby. One-to-one music lessons are available with world-renowned teachers, and pupils can make the most of our varied ensemble opportunities, including choirs, orchestras, instrumental groups in all genres and music theatre. All pupils, specialist or not, enjoy the excellent music tuition available as part of the more varied programme we offer.
Creative Arts
We aim to inspire a lifelong passion for the creative arts by giving pupils of all abilities the confidence and ability to perform and try a variety of disciplines. Our integrated approach to teaching art, photography, drama, dance, music and food technology allows for creativity, imagination and flexibility. It gives pupils opportunities for self-expression through risk-taking, teamwork, resourcefulness and reflection. By the time the pupils choose their GCSE options, they have been exposed to a range of opportunities so they can decide what areas, if any, they would like to pursue in their studies or as a hobby.
Sport
We endeavour for every child to find a sport they can enjoy so we make sport and physical activity an integral part of our overall education. We offer a wide selection of sports including competitive hockey, rugby, tennis, cricket, swimming, netball and badminton. Our excellent facilities include: Cedars Field (cricket pitch) and new Sports Pavilion, an astro for hockey and tennis, sports hall with a fitness suite and climbing wall, multi-use games area (MUGA), swimming pool, netball courts, dance studio and two full size pitches suitable for rugby, football and athletics.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning complements and reinforces the excellent learning that takes place inside the classroom to help our pupils to develop resilience, resourcefulness, leadership and self-confidence. Our pupils have many options, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, our Combined Cadet Force, camping trips, rock climbing, archery, bushcraft, abseiling, sailing and expeditions to far flung parts of the globe, such as Everest Base Camp and Machu Picchu. Locally, our pupils make the most of the beautiful Mendip Hills, sprawling Somerset Levels and Cheddar Reservoir and Gorge.
Clubs and Societies
Pupils can choose from a wide variety of co-curricular activities, which aim to accommodate all abilities and most interests. Spanning the creative arts, music, sport, academics and outdoor adventures, there truly is something for everyone, and we encourage all of pupils to make the most of these opportunities so they can develop their talents, discover new ones and have fun. Our activities take place before school, at lunch, after school and at the weekends.
Life at Wells
We aim 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. We aim for our pupils to be happy and successful – but in that order, and the surest way of making sure we all live and work in a happy community, is to ensure that we are always kind to each other. Outside the normal school timetable, we organise a variety of activities, from cinemas,
theatres and concerts to ten-pin bowling and shopping. We also plan termly trips to theme parks, safari parks and city breaks. From Year 7, small groups of pupils may go into Wells unaccompanied. House staff organise weekly events based on the boarders’ requests, such as pizza and TV nights, barbecues, quizzes and cooking evenings. Boarders can also make the most of our many sports clubs, pool, gym, and countless musical opportunities.
Discount and Location
Discount
Sons and daughters of members of the British Armed Forces qualify for a 15% discount off of our school fees.
Our Location
Journey times by car
London Heathrow: 2hrs 30mins
Bath Spa Railway: 50mins
Bristol Airport: 30mins
Castle Cary Railway: 30mins
Andover: 1hr 30mins
Salisbury: 1hr 15mins
Shrivenham: 1hr 30mins
Yeovilton: 40mins
Find Out More
If you would like to find out more about Wells Cathedral School, please contact our admissions team on 01749 834441 / admissions@wells.cathedral.school or visit our website https://wells.cathedral.school/military-families