Senior School Handbook

2024 - 2025

Welcome to Wells

We’re really excited that your child will soon be joining us as a pupil at Wells Cathedral School. It’s always an exciting time when new people join the Wells family and bring with them so many wonderful and unique talents and interests.

New beginnings at any point in life provide a wonderful opportunity to look forward with anticipation and optimism. There will be many things your child is already doing which they will be able to continue with at Wells. But alsoand perhaps most importantly - there will be so many new opportunities that will now be opening up for them - new friends, new teachers, new subjects, new activities and new experiences. My best advice is that they seize every opportunity available to them and make sure they make the very most of every moment here at Wells because you’ll be surprised how quickly time will pass!

But we’re also aware that new beginnings can be unsettling. No doubt you and your child are feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness - and that’s absolutely natural. But I hope that you will all quickly find that any nervousness or uncertainty is a thing of the past as your child gets into a routine here at the School and gets to know all the wonderful people who make up our community. And please always remember that if, at any point, you or they have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak to any member of staff - we’ve all had new beginnings at some point and know what it’s like so we’re more than happy to help and reassure you at any timejust ask!

I hope that all the useful information provided here helps settle any uncertainties or queries you might have about how daily life at Wells works. I totally appreciate that there is a lot to take in, and

please don’t worry if you don’t remember it all straightaway. But equally, I hope this information booklet will prove to be a helpful resource as you prepare to join us, and as a reference once your time with us begins. And if you have any questions having read this document, or if we haven’t covered anything here which is of interest to you, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with our Admissions Department who will be delighted to assist. Of course, the same principle applies throughout your child’s time at Wells Cathedral School with your child’s Tutor generally being your first point of contact once he or she starts. We are always happy to have a conversation; we are here to help - in whatever way we can.

All of us here are really looking forward to ‘officially’ welcoming you to Wells at the start of next Term, and to the start of what I hope will be an exciting and rewarding partnership.

Head Master

Essential Information

Term Dates

We divide our academic year into six short Terms which are separated by a half-term break and paired as long Terms separated by a School holiday; these are Michaelmas/Advent Terms, Epiphany/Lent Terms and Whitsun/Trinity Terms.

We are a six day a week teaching school from Year 9 upwards, giving us space in the rest of the week to include enrichment opportunities for pupils alongside their academic curriculum.

Syncing Term Dates to Your Calendar

Many parents find it useful to sync our Term dates to their personal calendar as a reference when planning holidays. For instructions on how to do this, please see our website: https://wells.cathedral.school/term-dates

Term Dates

• 2024-2025 Term Dates

• 2025-2026 Term Dates

Please also see our Term Dates webpage where future term dates will be posted)

Key Dates 2024-2025

Michaelmas Term 2024

New Staff Induction Day: Monday 2 September

Staff Training (INSET) Day: Tuesday 3 - Wednesday 4

September

New Pupils’ Day: Thursday 5 September

Boarders return: Thursday 5 September (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Friday 6 September (morning registration)

Full Exeat: Friday 27 September (4.00pm) – Sunday 29

September (Boarders return by 7.00pm)

Term ends: Friday 18 October (4.00pm)

Boarding Houses close*: Friday 18 October (5.00pm)

Boarders taking Heathrow coach leave: Saturday 19 October (by 9.00am)

Advent Term 2024

Boarders return: Sunday 3 November (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Monday 4 November (morning registration)

Full Exeat: Friday 22 November (4.00pm) – Sunday 24

November (Boarders return by 7.00pm)

Term ends and Boarders leave: Friday 13 December (11.30am)

Epiphany term 2025

Staff Training (INSET) Day: Monday 6 January

Boarders return: Monday 6 January (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Tuesday 7 January (morning registration)

Full Exeat: Friday 24 January (4.00pm) – Sunday 26

January (Boarders return by 7.00pm)

Term ends: Friday 14 February (4.00pm)

Boarding Houses close*: Friday 14 February (5.00pm)

Boarders taking Heathrow coach leave: Saturday 15 February (by 9.00am)

Lent Term 2025

Boarders return: Sunday 23 February (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Monday 24 February (morning registration)

Term ends and Boarders leave: Friday 28 March (11.30am)

Whitsun Term 2025

Staff Training (INSET) Day: Tuesday 22 April

Boarders return: Tuesday 22 April (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Wednesday 23 April (morning registration)

Full Exeat Friday 2 May (4.00pm) – Monday 5 May (Boarders return by 7.00pm)

Term ends: Friday 23 May (4.00pm)

Boarding Houses close*: Friday 23 May (5.00pm)

Boarders taking Heathrow coach leave: Saturday 24 May (by 9.00am)

Trinity Term 2025

Boarders return: Sunday 1 June (by 7.00pm)

Term begins: Monday 2 June (morning registration)

Term ends and Boarders leave: Friday 4 July (Senior School 12.15pm, Prep School 3.30pm)

*Boarding Houses only open for pupils taking Heathrow coach the next morning

Key School Websites and Resources

School Website

https://wells.cathedral.school

Our website has our latest news, fees, key policies, scholarship application forms, events you may wish to attend (such as concerts, holiday clubs and summer music schools) and handbooks. You may find our parent information page useful: https://wells.cathedral.school/parent-information

Parent Portal

https://portal.wells.cathedral.school

Our Portal covers such areas as reports, rewards and conduct, timetable, activities, exam results and detentions. It is how you report absences and request leave. Logging into the Portal also automatically logs you into some of our other websites (there are links to these sites from the Portal homepage). If you haven’t activated your Portal account yet, please see page 54 for details.

SOCS Co-Curricular

https://portal.wells.cathedral.school

SOCS Co-Curricular can be found via the co-curricular button on the Portal homepage. You can use this to find and book clubs that your child is eligible for as well as book sport and PE options for those in Years 10+. You can view their co-curricular timetable, which includes all of their activities (apart from music lessons) as well as details for any sports fixtures that they are participating in. You can sync this calendar to your personal calendar if you wish. A user guide is available on our website: https://wells.cathedral.school/parent-information

SOCS Sport

https://sport.wells.cathedral.school

Our SOCS Sport site has results and fixture information for all of our sports. To search by team, click on the tab “Sports” in the bottom menu (mobile) or the Sports & Teams option in the left menu (desktop). To search by date, use the “What’s on” tab and select the date (mobile) or via the calendar on the homepage (desktop). The password for team sheets can be found on the Portal Co-Curricular page.

SOCS School Calendar

https://calendar.wells.cathedral.school

Our School Calendar is updated regularly with details about what’s happening in School. You can filter it, search by keyword and sync it to your personal calendar.

Vectare (School Bus)

https://portal.wells.cathedral.school

Vectare can be found via the Bus Booking button on the Portal homepage. Day parents can use this website to book a bus, either as a recurring booking or a one-off trip (depending on availability). A user guide is available: https://wells.cathedral.school/parent-information

Music Timetable

https://musictimetable.wellsconnected.com

This website is only accessible via your child’s Google School login so they will need to log you on. Once logged in, you can see details of any music activities/lessons they are taking part in, including date/time, teacher, location and any other participants (if applicable).

Wells Community Website

https://community.wells-cathedral-school.com

This website brings our wider community groups together: the Parents and Friends’ Association, Wellensian Association and the Friends of Music. Please register and join the community: https://community. wells-cathedral-school.com/register

Wellbeing Hub

https://club.teentips.co.uk/login/

With our membership to the Wellbeing Hub, you have access to parenting courses, weekly podcasts and articles, Q&As, careers resources, access to specialists, webinars and top tips - all designed to help you to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of your children. For more information and to take advantage of our membership, please visit the Portal for further information on how to register: https://portal.wells. cathedral.school/showme/wellbeing

Visit our website for a presentation with more details on how to access information: https://wells.cathedral.school/joining-us

Key Staff

Senior Management Team

Heads of Year

Alastair Tighe Head Master

Bob McCartney Bursar

Alex Laing Director of Music

Martin Ashton Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Natalie Perry Deputy Head (Academic)

Lucy Llewellyn Deputy Head (Academic)

David Rowley Head of Years 7 and 8

Sally Rowley Head of Sixth Form

Andy Davies Head of Year 9

Lucy Balderson Head of Years 10 and 11

Helen Gray Assistant Head of Lower Sixth

Safeguarding Team

All staff at Wells are committed to safeguarding. Please report any concerns to our Safeguarding Team.

Martin Ashton Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Designated Safeguarding Lead Mobile: 07507 981694 m.ashton@wells.cathedral.school

Matt Smith Assistant Head (Pastoral) and Head of Boarding: Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead matt.smith@wells.cathedral.school

Stephen Bradford Safeguarding and Welfare Officer s.bradford@wells.cathedral.school

Alastair Tighe Head Master

Jody Wells Head of Prep School

Damian Todres (Senior School)

Jayne Obradovic (Senior School Musicians)

David Brown Chair of Governors

Elizabeth Shelton Safeguarding Governor

Rebecca Allen (Pre-Prep and Nursery)

Alex Jenkins (Choristers)

Sarah Beats (Prep School)

Communication and Opening Hours

Contact Details

Address

Wells Cathedral School, Wells, Somerset BA5 2ST

Telephone Numbers

Main Reception: 01749 834200

Music School: 01749 834450

Bursary Reception: 01749 834270

Email Addresses

Any member of staff may be contacted by email using the format: firstinitial.surname@wells.cathedral.school

Head Master: headmaster@wells.cathedral.school

PA to the Head Master: headmaster_pa@wells.cathedral.school

Bursar: bursar@wells.cathedral.school

Deputy Head (Pastoral): pastoral@wells.cathedral.school

Deputy Head (Academic): teaching@wells.cathedral.school

Main Office: main-office@wells.cathedral.school

Music Office: music@wells.cathedral.school

Parents and Friends’ Association: pfa@wells.cathedral.school

Reception: reception@wells.cathedral.school

St. Andrew’s Lodge Medical Centre: st.andrewslodge@wells.cathedral.school

House Contacts

Cedars House

Duty line: 01749 834304

Houseparent: 01749 834300

Matron: 01749 834302 matron-cedars@wells.cathedral.school

Claver Morris House

Duty line: 01749 834344

Houseparent: 01749 834340

Matron: 01749 834342 matron-clavermorris@wells.cathedral.school

De Salis House

Duty line: 01749 834384

Houseparent: 01749 834380

Matron: 01749 834383 matron-desalis@wells.cathedral.school

Edwards House

Duty line: 01749 834334

Houseparent: 01749 834330

Matron: 01749 834332 matron-edwards@wells.cathedral.school

Haversham House

Duty line: 01749 834314

Houseparent: 01749 834310

Matron: 01749 834312 matron-haversham@wells.cathedral.school

Plumptre House

Duty line: 01749 834324

Houseparent: 01749 834320

Matron: 01749 834322 matron-plumptre@wells.cathedral.school

Ritchie House

Duty line: 01749 834364

Houseparent: 01749 834368

Matron: 01749 834362 matron-ritchie@wells.cathedral.school matron-brock@wells.cathedral.school

Shrewsbury House

Duty line: 01749 834374

Houseparent: 01749 8344370

Matron: 01749 834376 matron-shrewsbury@wells.cathedral.school

Our Boarding Handbook contains useful information, including the names of our House staff. You can find our Boarding Handbook on our website: https://wells.cathedral.school/joining-us

Who Should I Contact?

The Tutor

Wells Cathedral School is a happy, friendly school and values the relationships between parents, pupils and staff. At the heart of the School are staff who genuinely care about your child and want the very best for them. Every pupil at Wells has a Tutor who acts as a daily contact point for your child at the beginning of the school day and is therefore the first port of call for any queries, requests or concerns you may have.

We want you to feel confident about contacting your child’s Tutor in the first instance for help and support with general day-to-day matters. Tutors also monitor attendance and look after the pastoral and academic needs of their tutees. There is a wider team of staff available for your child if further support is needed.

Heads of Year

There are distinct Heads of Year for Years 7 and 8, Year 9, Years 10 and 11, Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth as well as an overall Head of Sixth Form (see page 10 for details). Heads of Year lead a team of Tutors and hold an overview of all matters, including academic and pastoral, for all pupils in their care. Heads of Year play a key role in the delivery of the Tutor programme which runs on an annual cycle to provide an enriching learning experience for all of our pupils.

Houseparents

Every pupil in the Senior School is a member of one of our integrated day and boarding Houses. Membership of a House provides a physical space, indeed a home, for all of our pupils during the school day and invites opportunities to represent the House in a broad spectrum of events, both competitive and non-competitive. Houseparents lead the pastoral team in each House and play a role in the welfare of the pupils in their House in collaboration with Tutors and Heads of Year.

Academic Matters

If you have any academic concerns, we recommend that you initially contact your child’s Tutor. The Tutor can arrange for you to have a conversation with the subject teacher, Head of Department and/or Head of Faculty as appropriate. The Deputy Head (Academic) oversees all academic matters. However, you can, of course, contact any of these people directly should you prefer to do so.

Pastoral Matters

Tutors work in close co-operation with Heads of Year and Houseparents. If your child has a pastoral concern, then please contact his or her Tutor in the first instance, and this may lead to collaboration with other key pastoral staff. The Deputy Head (Pastoral) oversees pastoral care at the School and will be pleased to support you and your child, particularly for more serious matters. If the matter is of a confidential nature, parents or pupils are welcome to speak directly with a member of our Medical Team or a member of the Senior Management Team.

Music

For any questions relating to the Music Form (M Form), music courses and general advice or issues relating to music, please contact the Music School at music@wells.cathedral.school

If, however, your query relates specifically to instrumental lessons (requesting lessons, giving notice, enquiring about lesson times and locations, etc.) or instrumental exams, please contact the Music Timetables Administrator, Ed Goater, at e.goater@wells.cathedral.school

Absence

If your son or daughter is unwell, has a medical/dental appointment, or or is otherwise unexpectedly unable to make it into school due to extenuating circumstances, please inform the School as early as possible on or prior to the day of the absence by completing the Absence Form on the Portal https://portal.wells.cathedral. school/showme/absence-form

Leave Request

If you would like to request leave (e.g., for a funeral, wedding, holiday, etc.), please complete the Leave of Absence Form on the Portal https://portal.wells. cathedral.school/showme/leave-request at least a week in advance wherever possible. A response will be given by the Head of Year as soon as a decision has been made.

Lost Property

Main Reception keeps a log of lost and found items. Any named found items are returned to pupils, usually via their House (pupils and their Matron will receive an email). Found Sports kit is gathered in the Sports Hall; pupils should see Sports staff to look through this. Please ensure that your son or daughter’s belongings are clearly named so that if anything should go missing it can be returned to them promptly. To find out more and to report a lost item, please see our Parent Portal: https://portal.wells.cathedral.school/showme/lostand-found

Complaints

Wells Cathedral School is proud of the quality of its teaching, pastoral and boarding care. Nonetheless, we do welcome feedback and deal with any complaints from parents and pupils if they arise. The following channels are the most appropriate in these areas:

Academic matters: Tutor

Pastoral matters: Tutor or Houseparent

Music matters: Music Teacher or Director of Music

Financial matters (for example, fees): in writing to the Bursar

The aims of our formal complaints procedure will always be to resolve the problem which has led to the complaint and to learn lessons for the future in a positive and confidential manner.

Please see our Complaints Policy for further details: https://wells.cathedral.school/policies

Keeping You Informed

We will ensure that you have all the information you need to help support your child and ensure they make the most of their time at Wells.

Sports Communication

We aim to provide pupils with at least 48 hours notice of their selection in a sports team, but this might not always be possible for various reasons in which case we would endeavour to provide as much notice as possible.

If we expect to be more than 20 minutes late when returning from a sports fixture, our staff will email parents with an updated estimated time of arrival.

Regular Email Bulletins

Each Friday afternoon in Term time, you will receive an email called “This Week at Wells” with a summary of our latest news stories and key forthcoming events. On Saturday mornings during Term time, you’ll also receive an email called “Essential Information.” Please note that is imperative that you read this Saturday Briefing carefully so you don’t miss any key notices.

An archive of our bulletins can be found on the Portal: https://portal.wells.cathedral.school/showme/bulletinarchive

Social Media

We post our latest news stories and events on both our X (Twitter) and Facebook social media sites. Our prefects also run an Instagram site where they post about school life and events.

School Facebook: www.facebook.com/wellscathedralschool School Instagram (Prefect run): www.instagram.com/wellscathedralschool School X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/wellscathschool

Opening Hours

Library

Monday to Friday: 9.10am - 4.30pm Monday to Thursday evening: 7.00pm - 10.00pm Saturday: 8.40am - 12.15pm

Book Store

Monday to Friday: 10.00am - 2.00pm (term time only)

South West Schoolwear

Monday to Saturday: 9.00am - 5.00pm 23 Broad Street, Wells, BA5 2DJ (behind Pickwicks) 01749 670000 www.swschoolwear.co.uk

Classrooms

Monday to Friday: 8.35am - 6.00pm Saturday: 8.35am - 12.30pm

Sixth Form Centre

Monday to Saturday: 8.30am - 7.00pm

Our Core Values: CARE

Creativity

Our Core Values: CARE and Policies

• Embracing the power of imagination, innovation and individual talent

• Creating a culture of artistic excellence

• Valuing human ingenuity and the Arts in an increasingly technological world

• Recognising the spiritual and wellbeing benefits that an engagement with your creative self brings

• Having an original approach to all that you do

Aspiration

• Setting ambitious goals and the highest expectations of yourself

• Inspiring excellence through unrivalled opportunity and high quality teaching and coaching

• Aiming always to have positive outcomes in all you do

• Having appropriate awareness of self and others

• Demonstrating boundless curiosity

Responsibility

• Having personal ownership of your learning and behaviour

• Understanding your place and your duties in the School, local community and world

• Showing respect and care for all

• Leading by example

• Having the highest standards of honesty and trustworthiness

Endeavour

• Doing your best in all things, in the classroom and beyond it

• Trying new things and discovering new passions

• Participating and building resilience through engagement

• Trying for the sake of the team as well as the individual

• Recognising the value of determined effort and participation before winning and success

Policies

You can access our policies on our website: https://wells.cathedral.school/policies

• Admissions

• Alcohol, Drugs Misuse and Smoking

• Anti-Bullying

• Behaviour Management

• Child Protection and Safeguarding

• Complaints

• Curriculum

• EAL

• Educational Visits and Events

• eSafety

• First Aid

• Guardianship

• Health and Safety

• Learning Support and SEND

• Permanent Exclusion

• Privacy Notice

• PSHE Scheme of Work - Senior School

• Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

• Remissions

Before You Start

Tutor Allocation

Tutor and House Allocation

Every pupil is a member of a Tutor group. Tutor groups are arranged in year-based cohorts and are approximately 10-12 in size. Tutees meet with their Tutor every morning so that a strong rapport is established and so that tutees can feel supported throughout their school journey each academic year. Tutor allocations are decided and communicated prior to the start of the academic year at the end of August, with the exception of pupils joining Year 7 who will be informed at the start of July.

Your child’s Tutor will be the first point of call for any concerns. There is plenty of tutor time during the working week to help children form a productive relationship with their Tutor and fellow tutees. The Tutor groups follow a Tutor Programme, which explores different topics and themes throughout the year to support wellbeing and develop wider life skills.

House Allocation (Day and Boarding)

Our Houses include:

• Our co-educational Prep House (boarding only): Claver Morris (Years 4 - 8)

• Three Senior Girls’ Houses: Haversham, Edwards, Plumptre (Years 7 - Lower Sixth)

• Three Senior Boys’ Houses: Cedars, De Salis, Shrewsbury (Years 7 - Lower Sixth)

• Our co-educational Sixth Form House: Ritchie (Upper Sixth).

All of our Senior pupils are allocated to one of our Senior Houses, which are all beautiful and unique buildings with their own individual character. Membership of a House allows our pupils to enjoy a supervised and friendly ‘home’ during breaks in their day. It also provides the opportunity to represent their House in inter-house events throughout their time at Wells Cathedral School. The House is also where pupils keep their belongings, change for games and are able to socialise at break, lunchtime and after school. For boarders, they exist as your ‘home away from home’ during term time.

Our Admissions team will contact you in late July with the House allocation for your son/daughter. The relevant Houseparent will contact you to welcome you and your son/daughter to the House and to share essential contact details and arrangements prior to the beginning of term. House families will be allocated on your child’s arrival. Your child’s Houseparent will be happy to help if you have any questions about community life - whether your child is a day pupil or a boarder.

The Houseparent is supported by a team of staff. These include an Assistant Houseparent, Housekeepers and, importantly, a Matron who is around and on hand throughout the school day. The House staff, in collaboration with the Academic staff, are responsible for the children’s pastoral wellbeing and will soon become important figures in their daily life.

Preseason Sport Training and Beginning of Term Arrangements

Preseason Sport Training

We run preseason sport training for all year groups in the week before the new Term begins. We will contact you by email before the end of previous Term with the exact dates and times, but here is an overview of what we offer:

• August: Senior Football, Rugby and Girls’ Hockey

• January: Boys’ Hockey and Netball

• April: Cricket and Tennis.

Beginning of Term Arrangements

Please note that these arrangements are subject to alterations and confirmed details will be sent out to you nearer the time.

IPC Course

From Saturday 24th August 2024

Heathrow Coach departs from Terminal 3 on Saturday 24th August at 10.30am

Secondhand Uniform Sale Dates

Sunday 25th August: 1.00pm - 3.00pm Thursday 5th September: 10:30am - 2.00pm

Heathrow Coach

The Heathrow Coach departs from Terminal 3 on Thursday 5th September 2024 at 10.30am and at 4.30pm

New Pupils’ Day

Thursday 5th September 2024

Please be aware that the final schedule for the day and locations will be confirmed in writing by our Registrar closer to the time, but please see provisional arrival and departure timings below:

Arrival times

9.15am Year 7 Boarder parents and pupils

10.00am Year 7 Day parents and pupils

11.30am Years 8+ Boarder parents and pupils

c. 1.15pm Years 8+ Day parents and pupils

Departures c. 4.00pm; all Boarders to return by 7.00pm.

About New Pupils’ Day

The day itself will be made up of the following components:

• Welcome from Head of Year 7 and induction activities with Tutors (Year 7 families only)

• Houses open - meet with Houseparents and house staff (Boarder families only)

• Buffet lunch hosted by Heads of Year with year group Tutors

• Welcome speech from the Head Master and Heads of School

• Tea on Cedars Lawn (or inside in the event of wet weather)

• Welcome speech from the Director of Music (Specialist and Specialist Provision Musician families only)

• Communication platforms Q&A session (optional)

• Tour of School (optional)

Start of Term

Friday 6th September 2024

8.40am Registration in Tutor Group

9.05am Start of Year Assembly 10.30am Start of Year Cathedral Service

11.15am Break 11.40am Tutor Group time and lessons commence

What You Need

Your Own Device and Mobile Phone Policy

Your Own Device

Pupils are required to bring their own internetconnecting device to lessons so that all rooms are, in effect, an IT room. This enables research, collaboration, content creation and all of the other benefits which technology can provide, whenever and wherever the teacher chooses to make use of them. We make full use of Google applications, including email, file storage, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and others. As long as the device has a web browser and a keyboard (but is not a smartphone or tablet), it will be entirely sufficient for our needs. You are free to choose whatever device best suits their preferences and budget.

A Chromebook works very well for our purposes and can be bought relatively cheaply (from our experience, we would recommend ASUS, Dell or HP Chromebooks with at least 8gb of memory). Equally, if you prefer Windows, or an Apple device, these will work perfectly well with our systems. It is important to stress that Chromebooks work slightly differently to Windows laptops, and it is not possible to install other applications in the same way.

An Apple iPad with a keyboard is sufficient for normal learning if Google Chrome is installed for use in School. However, an iPad isn’t recommended during exams (for those pupils who are allowed them).

Digital Citizenship

A fundamental aspect of our approach to the use of technology is the Digital Citizenship programme. This takes the form of PSHE lessons, talks by visiting speakers and sessions focusing on social media. Whilst our filtering policy is reasonably liberal, as covered below, it is with the deliberate view that the solution to encouraging young people to use the internet appropriately and effectively is human rather than technical, especially with regard to laying the foundations for later life.

Filtering and Monitoring

The starting point for our approach to filtering and monitoring is that we trust and expect our pupils to do the right thing, with appropriate safeguards where necessary. Various categories of websites which we feel are inappropriate are therefore blocked, but the majority of social media sites are not on the basis that there are plenty of worthwhile, interesting and appropriate uses for them. We are required by the Independent Schools Inspectorate to have certain filtering and monitoring standards in place, and we are continually reviewing and developing our network to ensure that we have an effective oversight of how it is being used. Clearly, discussions about what constitutes appropriate use, both in and out of school, fall within the scope of the Digital Citizenship programme.

Mobile Phone Policy

There is no requirement to bring a mobile phone into School; we will ensure that all internal communication necessary can take place within School without the need for a mobile device. However, if your son or daughter would like to bring their phone into School, please ensure that it is clearly labelled and note the following expectations for pupils in Years 7-11.

Years 7-9

Pupils in Years 7-9 must hand their phone in to their Houses before the start of each school day (Monday to Friday) where they will be stored in a secure locker. Pupils should collect their phone from their Houses after School (3.55pm - 5.00pm). On Saturdays, Year 9 pupils are not required to hand in their mobile but need to follow the ‘hidden phone policy’ as in Years 10-11.

Years 10-11

For more information, please see our eSafety Policy or contact our IT Department, and they’ll be happy to help.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 do not need to hand in their phones during the school day, but they are expected to follow our ‘hidden phone policy’. Day pupils may only use their mobile in a designated area/room in their respective House during break and lunch periods as directed by House staff. Boarders will be able to use the same area or use their phone in their dorms.

We expect all pupils to wear their uniform smartly and correctly as a way of demonstrating pride in the School and our aspiration as a community.

Uniform Guide, including Sports Kit (Years

7-11)

A detailed guide with clothing lists, prices and links to purchase items is available via our website: https://wells.cathedral.school/joining-us

Purchasing our School Uniform

South West Schoolwear

Please see our Uniform Guide for items required for school uniform and sports clothing. All items of school uniform may be purchased at South West Schoolwear; certain items must be purchased there. To place an order, visit https://www.swschoolwear.co.uk, call South West Schoolwear on 01749 670000 or email wells@ swschoolwear.co.uk. Orders placed by noon will be delivered to the Bursar’s Office in a labelled bag by 1.30pm. The shop is open Mondays to Saturdays from 9.00am - 5.00pm. They are located on 23 Broad Street Wells BA5 2DJ, behind Pickwicks.

The

Parents and Friends’ Association (PFA) Second-Hand Uniform Sales

General information

The PFA are happy to sell all current uniform items and some sports items, such as hockey sticks, tennis rackets and bags. Please see the Uniform Guide for details. Items must be of good quality, and the PFA reserve the right not to sell items that they feel are below the required standard. The PFA will retain 40% of the ticket price, returning 60% back to the seller. However, if you would like to donate the entire amount, there is a tick box on each label. The money retained will go to PFA funds, all of which are used to fund bids.

School Uniform

Secondhand

uniform shop

The PFA secondhand uniform shop does not have fixed opening hours. If you need uniform items, we will open it up for you to view and purchase, or collect. Email secondhanduniform@wells.cathedral.school and the shop manager will aim to respond within one school day between Monday - Friday during term time. The shop manager can check our stock for you and arrange a time to open. In your email, please let us know what items you need, and in what size.

Wells Kukri Website

Additional branded Sports Kit items (optional) are available through via our team shop on the Kukri website: www.kukrisports.co.uk/teamshop/ wellscathedralschool

Name Tapes

All items must be named for easy identification (name tapes may be ordered through South West Schoolwear).

Gender Neutrality

At Wells, we recognise that gender identity and birth gender play a factor in how people perceive themselves and therefore the uniform pupils can choose to wear may not always match the gender with which they were born. The clothing lists in our Uniform Guide represent the typical uniform requirements expected for a pupil that identifies themselves with that particular gender. For general uniform, any pupil may choose to wear either:

• a shirt, tie and blazer with trousers or

• a revere shirt (blouse) and blazer with either a skirt or trousers.

Sports clothing lists are given as appropriate to the identified gender and sporting activity. All pupils do at least one games session a week, and parents must supply their children with the appropriate school kit. Staff are available to talk through the implications of our gender neutral approach to uniform at any time.

General Uniform

(Years 7 to 11)

Blazers

All pupils must possess an official School blazer, which can be obtained from South West Schoolwear, and should be worn as part of our School uniform.

Shirts and Ties

Pupils in Years 7-11 wear white shirts. Shirts, if not purchased from South West Schoolwear, must be of a similar style and material as those sold there. Shirts must be tucked in, and the top buttons must always be fastened.

Ties must always be worn and properly tied. When in School uniform, only official School ties may be worn (House, Colours, or Choristers).

Revere Shirts (Blouses)

Blouses, if not purchased at South West Schoolwear, must be white and of similar style and material as those sold there. Blouses must be tucked in.

Trousers

Trousers must be mid grey and fit properly. If not purchased from South West Schoolwear, trousers must be of the same colour, style and material as those sold there. Plain grey or black socks must be worn with trousers.

Skirts

Skirts must be navy and purchased at South West Schoolwear. Skirts must be knee length. Plain navy or black tights must be worn.

Shoes

Shoes must be black leather and polishable. Suede shoes and casual shoes are not permitted. Stitches or laces must also be black. Heels should not be more than five centimetres.

Cold/Wet Weather Dress

Coats and Cagoules

Coats and cagoules should be plain navy or black. Cagoules, if not purchased from South West Schoolwear, should be similar to those sold there.

Jumpers

If worn, jumpers must be of official School design.

Headgear

Pupils are permitted to wear either an official School bobble hat or beanie or a plain navy/black beanie. No other headgear is permitted with our School Uniform.

Hot Weather Dress (Summer Dress)

Pupils will be given the option of wearing Summer Dress at appropriate times of the year following an announcement by the School. Blazers need not be worn except for Cathedral services and other formal occasions. Long sleeved shirts/blouses can be rolled up to the elbow; short-sleeved shirts/blouses may be worn as an alternative.

Pupils in the Shirt and Tie Uniform need to continue to wear their ties with their top buttons done up as normal.

Pupils in the Skirt Uniform may wear white or navy ankle socks or flesh-coloured tights instead of plain navy or black tights. Please note our summer skirt option for Years 7-9 is being phased out, but pupils who already own one may wear it during the 2024/2025 academic year if they would like.

General Rules

Hair

Hair should be worn in a conventional style and must not be dyed to look unnatural.

Jewellery

When in School uniform, pupils must not wear excessive quantities of jewellery. A thin gold or silver neck chain is permitted and one finger ring. For those with pierced ears, plain studs or small rings may be worn (maximum of one in each ear) in the earlobe.

When under School responsibility but not in School Uniform, pupils should not wear any jewellery which requires piercing in a body part other than their ears.

Civvies

Pupils are allowed to change into plain clothes after school each evening and at the weekend. Boarders should try to limit themselves to no more than three sets of casual clothes as storage space in dorms is at a premium. Please see our Boarding Handbook.

Makeup

Years 7 - 9 should not wear makeup. Pupils in Years 10 and above may wear subtle makeup in natural colours; bright lipstick and coloured eye makeup are not acceptable. Nail varnish (other than clear) is not allowed.

Sixth Form Uniform

Members of the Sixth Form have a particular responsibility as the oldest pupils in the School for setting and upholding the high standards expected in all areas of school life. Sixth Form dress replaces School Uniform and should be appropriate for the working day, giving pupils a feeling of well-being and confidence in themselves as leaders in the School. Pupils should above all look smart and professional. Please note that items regarded as ‘workwear’ by clothing manufacturers do not necessarily conform to the guidelines below.

The following guidelines have been drawn up to assist in choosing suitable clothing. If in doubt, please check with House Staff or the Head of Sixth Form before making an expensive purchase.

Suit

A single colour tailored suit in black/navy/dark grey (charcoal) consisting of jacket/trousers, jacket/ skirt. These MUST match, that is, be made of the same material/make and should be plain. Skirts must be no more than 7 cm above the knee.

This website offers skirts, jackets and trousers in line with our dress code. Purchases from other suppliers must be comparable in style to the products displayed here. A waistcoat may be worn with a jacket in the same suiting fabric.

In addition, pupils may wear a muted tweed jacket with smart beige or navy trousers. Chinos (beige or navy only) are acceptable. A plain waistcoat may also be worn.

No velvet/cord/denim/leather. No obvious or ornate zips. No checked patterns. Trousers should exactly match the jacket and must be waisted. Legs should not be excessively wide nor cropped. ‘Jegging’ type trousers/ jeans are not acceptable. Skirts made of stretchy material are not acceptable. If worn, skirts must match the jacket exactly and be made of suit material.

Formal Occasions: Number 1 Uniform

Suits with a white shirt (for girls and boys) will be required for formal occasions. Any tie worn with this formal wear must be a school tie or similar muted design. This will be known as ‘number 1 dress’ and there will be occasions when this uniform will be indicated and expected. These occasions include:

• New Pupil Day

• 1st day of Michaelmas Term

• St Andrew’s Day

• Final day of Michaelmas Term

• Ash Wednesday

• Final day of Lent Term

• Ascension Day

• Speech Day

Shirts

Shirts should be plain or finely striped/finely checked with buttons and a proper collar. They may be long or short sleeved and made of cotton (no T shirt material or style). Shirts and blouses should be pale in colour.

Ties

Ties should be worn with formal shirts which button to the neck. These may be School ties or similarly muted.

Jumper

Jumpers, if worn, should be fine gauge v-neck and should be worn with, not in place of, a shirt. Jumpers must not be heavy, chunky or hooded. Jumpers may not have zips, motifs or patterns.

Tights and Socks

Tights should be navy/black or skin colour; without holes or ladders. Socks must cover the ankles and be black or dark grey (not white.) Please note that trousers must be long enough to cover the ankle so that socks are not overly exposed.

Shoes

Shoes should be plain black/grey, brown or navy with no bright laces/logos, heels should be a sensible height. Shoes should be clean, polished and in good condition. Ankle boots may be worn with trousers.

Belts

Belts, if worn, should be black or navy. They should not be wider than 6cm and must not be ornate.

Coats

Outdoor coats should be plain navy or black. A shorter plain black or navy coat may be worn provided that it completely covers the suit jacket beneath it. No logos.

Jewellery

Pupils must not wear excessive quantities of jewellery. A thin gold or silver neck chain is permitted and one finger ring, Pupils should not have any visible piercings apart from ear studs in the ear lobe. Staff discretion applies in all cases.

Makeup

Sixth Form pupils may wear subtle makeup in natural colours; bright lipstick and coloured eye makeup are not acceptable. Nail varnish (other than clear) is not allowed.

Tattoos

Pupils should not have tattoos on show.

Hair

Hair should be well groomed, tidy and be of a ‘natural’ colour. Pupils are expected to be clean shaven.

NB:

Pupils whose uniform does not conform to the above will be asked to replace those items. Staff decisions are final. Anyone who fails to conform to the expectations of the dress code will be required to wear Number 1 uniform until further notice.

Games Kit

All Sixth Formers require a basic Wells Sports Kit (details can be found in our Kit Guide). Team players can purchase further items from the school shop on arrival. In the gym, tights may be worn but these must be covered by school tracksuit trousers to and from the gym. Pupils must not wear assorted kit from elsewhere.

ALL CLOTHING SHOULD BE NAMED

Essential Kit

Please find below a list of equipment that is essential for all pupils to have at the start of Term. It would be extremely helpful if, where possible, all items are labelled with the pupil’s name.

• Backpack (can be any design or colour, but it must be suitable for carrying books and a laptop)

• Pencil case containing the following, all of which can be purchased at our Book Store at very competitive prices:

• Blue or black pens (at least two)

• 2B Pencils

• Coloured pencils (at least four colours)

• Pencil sharpener

• Rubber

• 30cm ruler

• Highlighter

• Scientific calculator

• Pair of compasses

• Protractor

• Scissors

• Glue stick

• Board pen and eraser

• An electronic device which has a keyboard and access to a web browser (not a mobile phone or tablet) for classroom use - see page 20 for details.

• Study planner (these will be issued to pupils by tutors)

• A water bottle

Pupils will also be expected to bring the following items based on their timetable:

• Exercise books and/or folders and A4 lined paper (these will be issued by class teachers at the start of term)

• Textbooks

• PE/Games kit

• A reading book

Art Kit

Please see the lists below for items to purchase for Art.

Years 7-9

Apart from the Essential Kit (which includes a 2B pencil, glue stick and scissors), our Art Department will supply all other required items, to ensure quality and suitability.

Years 10 - Upper Sixth

Pupils studying Art may wish to purchase their own basic sets of media such as watercolour paints, acrylic paints and respective brushes etc., to use outside of school/ lessons. All specific media and resources required for practical work during lessons will be provided, along with sketchbooks and portfolio folders.

GCSE and A level Art pupils will also be able to access Photoshop on their own laptops (subject to compatibility) via a school license for this software. Additionally, for the duration of their A level Art course, Sixth Form pupils will each be loaned a materials storage box. For certain ‘final piece’ items such as canvases/boards or photographic prints there may be an additional charge to a pupils’ school bill, depending on scale and/or cost.

Boarders’ Items

Boarders need to bring additional items. Please see our Boarding Handbook for details.

Music Kit

All Years 7-9M, GCSE and A level Musicians should have:

• a pair of wired 3.5’’ minijack headphones or earbuds (no Bluetooth or other wireless types please)

• a device compatible with a type-A USB midi keyboard (the standard USB ports found on Chromebooks and other laptops).

It is also recommended (though not essential) that these pupils have:

• a midi keyboard (follow this link for recommended options) to allow pupils to complete their homework at home

• a windows or MacOS based platform to make use of our School software

• All Music Technology pupils will require their own pair of quality headphones. We recommend Superlux HD668B Headphones (@£30.00), which are available on Amazon and other online retailers. These headphones are also stocked in the School Book Store

• Pupils are also strongly advised to purchase a USB pen drive so that they can back up their coursework.

Travel

Day Pupils

Pupils travel to and from School by many means, and must remember that at all times they remain representatives and ambassadors for the School.

Walking and Cycling

Pupils are encouraged to walk and cycle to School where possible. If doing so, they should take due care and consideration on the roads, and make proper use of crossings where available. Cyclists should make use of appropriate safety equipment such as helmets, lights and reflective strips/clothing to help them remain safe on the roads.

School Buses

The School operates a range of bus routes to support parents in getting their children to and from School. To see our current availability and to make a booking, click on the navy “Local School Bus Bookings” button on the Portal homepage. We have created this ‘How to book a bus’ user guide with details on how to use the booking system.

Sixth Form Drivers

When under School responsibility, pupils must not be driven in a car by other pupils or by anyone under 21 unless exceptional circumstances arise. In such circumstances, parents of both the driver (in the case of pupils) and the passengers will need to give their permission to House staff for a specified journey before it can be authorised.

When under School responsibility, any pupil who wishes to be driven by anyone apart from his or her own parents needs to gain permission from a member of staff.

Those Sixth Formers who are legally able to and wish to drive to and from School (with or without a sibling) need to complete this form.

This ensures parental and House staff approval and involvement and also thereby contributes to general supervision and safety.

Pupils may not park in School grounds. Pupils who park in public areas should show respect and courtesy to local residents.

Boarders

Travel information for boarders can be found in our Boarding Handbook.

Hotel Accommodation in Wells

There are a number of hotels and bed and breakfasts to choose from in and around Wells, some of which are listed below. Please note that these details are provided for information only. Their inclusion does not imply that we endorse the services offered by the provider.

Hotels

Ancient Gatehouse Hotel 20 Sadler St, Wells BA5 2SE, 01749 672029, www.ancientgatehouse.com

The Crown Market Place, Wells BA5 2RP, 01749 673457, www.crownatwells.co.uk

Premier Inn Rowdens Road, Wells BA5 1UA, 0871 622 2317, www.premierinn.com

Best Western Plus Swan Hotel Sadler Street, Wells BA5 2RX, 01749 836300, www.swanhotelwells.co.uk

The White Hart Hotel Sadler Street, Wells BA5 2RR, 01749 672056, www.whitehartwells.com

The Wookey Hole Hotel The Mill, School Hill, Wookey Hole, Wells BA5 1BB, 01749 672243, wookeyhotel.co.uk

The Wookey Hole Inn Wookey Hole, Wells BA5 1BP, 01749 676677, www.wookeyholeinn.com

Bed and Breakfasts

Baytree House 85 Portway, Wells BA5 2BJ, 01749 677933

Beryl Top of Hawkers Lane, Wells BA5 3JP, 01749 678738, www.berylcountryhouse.com

Belleview House 37 New St, Wells BA5 2LE, 01749 676111, www.belleview-house.com

Burcott Mill Guesthouse Wells Rd, Wookey, Wells BA5 1NJ, 01749 673118, www.burcottmill.com

Coach House Little Fountains, Dulcote, Wells BA5 3NU, 01749 678777, www.littlefountains.co.uk

The Cross at Croscombe Long St, Wells BA5 3QJ, 01749 343352, www.cross-croscombe.co.uk

Double-Gate Farm B&B and Tea Rooms Double-Gate Farm, Godney, Nr. Wells, Somerset BA5 1RZ, 07843 924079 or 01458 832217

Glengarth House 7 Glastonbury Rd, Wells BA5 1TW, 01749 674792

Islington House Wells BA5 1US, 01749 673445, www.islingtonhouse-wells.co.uk

Littlewell Farm Glastonbury Rd, Wells BA5 1QP, 01749 677914, www.littlewellfarm.co.uk

The White House Bed and Breakfast Constitution Hill, Wells BA5 3NX, 01749 572280, www.thewhitehousedulcote.co.uk

Worth House Bed and Breakfast Worth, Near Wells, Wells BA5 1LW, 01749 674463, www.worthhousehotel.com

Cottages and Airbnb

Alternatively, some people prefer to stay in an Airbnb or cottage:

• www.airbnb.co.uk

• www.cottages.com

School Life

Academic and Co-curricular Timetable

8.50 - 9.10am Cathedral (until 9.30am)

9.10 - 10.10am 9.40am start 8.45 - 9.45am Period 2

10.15 - 11.15am 9.50 - 10.50am

-

Period 4

1.50 - 2.50pm 909s for Years 7-8

Period 5

2.55 - 3.55pm

Games for Years 11 - Upper Sixth until 4.30pm Activities for Years 9Upper Sixth until 4.30pm Games for Years 7-8 until 4.30pm Symphony Orchestra until 6.00pm

Games for Years 11 - Upper Sixth until 4.30pm

4.00 - 5.00pm (Years 11+, prep only from 4.30 - 5.00pm) (prep only from 4.30 - 5.00pm) (Years 11+, prep only from 4.30 - 5.00pm)

* Games run from 11.30am - 12.45pm (Years having Games end break early at 11.30am and start lunch late at 12.45pm)

Daily Routine

Morning Registration

Monday to Friday 8.40am

Saturday (Period 1) 8.45am

Chorister Registration 7.45am

Senior School Assembly / Tutor Time

Monday Cathedral Service

Tuesday Tutor time

Wednesday Tutor time

Thursday Assembly

Friday Tutor time

School Detention

Friday 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Buses depart from Woodland’s car park

Monday to Friday 5.15pm

Prep for Boarders

Years 7-8 6.45pm - 7.45pm

Year 9 7.00pm - 8.00pm

Year 10 7.00pm - 8.45pm

Year 11 / Sixth Form 7.00pm - 9.00pm

Please see page 38 for mealtimes.

In-House Times (Monday to Friday)

Years 7-9 5.00pm

Year 10 7.00pm

Year 11 9.30pm

Sixth Form 10.00pm

In-House Times (Saturday)

Years 7-9 As communicated by House staff

Year 10 9.15pm Year 11 9.30pm

Sixth Form 10.00pm

In-House Times (Sunday)

Morning In-House Times 10.00am - 11.00am

No Evening Services 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Beginning of Term 7.00pm - 8.00pm

Year 10 9.15pm

Year 11 9.30pm

Sixth Form 10.00pm

Cathedral Services (many optional)

Sung Eucharist (Sunday) 10.30am

Choral Evensong (Sunday) 3.00pm

Choral Evensong (Monday to Saturday) 5.15pm

Evening Service (Sunday) 6.30pm

Academic Information and Events

Academic Information

We produce separate Handbooks for Years 7-9, GCSE and A Level, which provide details on the curriculum, grading structure, option choices and other information specific to that particular stage of school life. You can find the latest version of these Handbooks on our website.

Events

Pupil Concerts

We offer more than 250 pupil performances each year, ranging from solo showcases and a lunchtime concert series to symphony orchestra and chorus concerts. These performances are the culmination of hours of practice and training and are vital at every stage of a musician’s development.

For details about forthcoming pupil concerts that are open to the public, please visit our website

Cedars Hall Events

In addition to our key ticketed pupil concerts, external musicians, artists, lecturers and other inspirational people are invited to Cedars Hall to enrich and inspire our pupils and the wider community. For more information about our concerts and events and to book your tickets online visit our Cedars Hall website

Box Office contact details:

Telephone: +44 (0)1749 834483

Email: boxoffice@cedarshallwells.co.uk

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 12.30pm (telephone only)

A-Z

Co-Curricular

Pupils can choose from a wide variety of co-curricular activities, which aim to accommodate all abilities and most interests. Our activities take place before school, at lunch, after school and at the weekends. Clubs are booked via the SOCS Co-Curricular system, which is accessible via the gold Co-Curricular button on the Portal homepage.

Years 7 to 8

Supervised prep is provided daily from 4.00pm - 5.00pm for day pupils who wish to complete their work before returning home. In 909s, Years 7 and 8 pupils cycle through a carousel of outdoor learning activities including:

• Campcraft

• Expedition Cooking

• First Aid

Years 9 - Upper Sixth

• Hand Sewing

• Leadership Training

• Lego Robotics

• Navigation

Supervised prep is provided daily from 4.00pm - 5.00pm for day pupils who wish to complete their work before returning home. Our Wednesday activities are aligned to our core values. Pupils may choose from a year-long activity or may change activity on a long-termly basis. Activities include:

• Academic Enrichment

• CCF

• Clay pigeon shooting

• Community Service

Societies (All Years)

• Cooking

• Creative crafts

• Debating

• First Aid

• Forest School

• Leadership

• Model UN

• Reading Spa

Our clubs and societies change regularly, depending on pupils’ interests. Recent clubs have included:

• Art Club

• Christian Union

• Climbing Club

• Coding Club

• Christmas Cake Club

• Creative Writing

• Dance Company

• Debating

• Drama

• Historical Boardgames

• Kit Car

• Music Tech

• Photography Club

• Polydorian Society

• Science Club

• Spectrum (LGBTQ+)

• Spelling Bee

• Storytelling

• Think Tank

• Years 9-11 Enrichment

Music Lessons

If you would like to book music lessons (please see our website for fees), please complete this form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment (although we will do our best to accommodate late requests). Musicians normally receive 30 minute lessons, but you can request longer lessons.

Specialists and Special Provision Musicians should discuss their programme with their Head of Department. Special Provision Musicians receive tuition appropriate to their standard of performance. Please note that you need to give eight weeks’ notice in writing to the Director of Music to cease lessons, otherwise the appropriate fees will be charged.

Sport Options

We offer a number of sport options across the year, including:

• Athletics

• Badminton

• Basketball

• Cross Country

• Cricket

• Fencing

• Football

• Hockey

• Judo

• Netball

• Rounders

• Rugby

• Strength and Conditioning

• Swimming

• Table Tennis

• Tennis

• Ultimate Frisbee

• Volleyball

Our competitive 1st teams play regularly on a strong circuit across the region in all major sports. We provide training preseason and during the week and support our pupils who represent the County or above in their chosen sports, some of whom have gone on to represent Great Britain and help win County and Regional Championships. We extend our offering through our links to local clubs - such as Bath Rugby Club, Clifton Robinsons HC and Tor Netball Club - and by providing workshops from visiting professional athletes. Some of our athletes have extended their development with overseas tours to experience sport abroad.

Pupils of all abilities have opportunities to take part in sport at an appropriate level to enable them to develop their skills and be part of a team. Every Term, day and boarding pupils are encouraged to take part in competitions for House trophies, and everyone has a healthy competitive spirit for the House championships. Our fitness suite stays open after school.

More details about our sporting provision can be found here.

Creative Arts

We aim to inspire a lifelong passion for the creative arts by giving pupils of all abilities – even those who might not consider themselves as ‘naturally creative’ – opportunities to perform and try a variety of styles to increase their confidence. Our curriculum includes Dance, Drama, Fine Art, Food Studies, Music and Photography.

More details about our creative arts provision can be found here.

Outdoor Education

Learning in the outdoors, being exposed to risk, appreciating the natural world and working in teams are some of the most effective ways to develop character traits such as resilience, courage, resourcefulness, creativity and self-confidence. Our options include the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award scheme, orienteering, camping trips, rock climbing, adventurous activity residentials and expeditions and a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) contingent to name but a few!

More details about our outdoor education provision can be found here.

Co-curricular: Music Ensembles

Our Departments determine our chamber music groups on an annual basis, and all Departments hold weekly performance classes. Every musician will be invited to participate in at least one ensemble. We have over 80 ensembles of varying sizes and genres for a range of abilities. Our table below and overleaf gives a brief overview of our main ensembles and their eligibility requirements.

Open to all pupils By Audition By Invitation

Cross Departmental

Symphony Orchestra

Sinfonietta

Friday Night is Symphony Night

Jazz Orchestra: premiere jazz group in the school, mainly Sixth Form Specialists

Jazz Ensemble: the second big band open to all pupils Year 7 up and Grade 5 or above

Jazz Combo 1: Premiere small jazz band for jazz specialists

Jazz Combo 2: Second small group for those with a particular interest in jazz and improvising

Advanced Jazz Combo

Training Jazz Combo

Baroque Ensemble

Brass

Cathedral Brass: Senior School pupils –symphonic size

Symphonic Brass: Years 7-9 pupils – symphonic size

10 Piece Brass

Natural Trumpet Ensemble

Natural Horn Ensemble

Senior Horn Ensemble

Years 7-9 Horn Ensemble

Senior Brass Ensemble

Senior School Trumpet Ensemble

Tower Trumpet Ensemble

Trombone Ensemble

Keyboard

Piano Performance Class A

Piano Performance Class B

String

Double Bass Ensemble: For all double bass pupils

Harp Ensemble: For all pupils

String Ensemble: Years 7-9 Specialist String Group

String Chamber Orchestra: Senior School

Senior Cello Ensemble

Viola Club

Junior String Performance PlatformYears 7 to 9

Senior String Performance PlatformYears 10 to Upper Sixth

Percussion

World music group: African drumming, samba, etc, open to every age and stage

Cathedral Percussion: Years 7-9 percussionists

PH7 drumline: For pupils currently having percussion lessons

Collegium: For specialists

Ferio: For specialists

Frigus: Year 8, 9 and 10 Ensemble

Vocal

Chamber Choir

Choralia

Chapel Choir/Chorus

Senior Stylists

Barbershop

Junior Choralia

Cambiata

Years 7-9 Choir

Small Vocal Consorts and a cappella groups

Wind

Symphonic Wind Orchestra

Wind Ensemble

Clarinet Ensemble

Saxophone Choir

Saxophone Quartet

Double Reed Ensembles

Flute Ensembles

Flute Performance Seminar

Open to all pupils By Audition By Invitation

Dining and Menus

Providing a healthy balanced diet is an area that our Catering Department takes extremely seriously, and menus are planned to provide a wide selection of food items - with an emphasis on using fresh produce and ingredients - for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Our menus meet and indeed exceed all the criteria of the School Food Trust for food-based standards. Menu changes are made frequently to reflect the seasons and commodity availability. Speciality days are often held to celebrate different food cultures and to commemorate religious and national occasions throughout the year.

We hold regular Food Committee Meetings and have a suggestion box in the Dining Hall to give pupils opportunities to suggest ideas, voice preferences and make an active contribution to the development of the food service available.

We serve our food responsibly and ethically and are proud of our long standing relationship with local suppliers. Our approach to hygiene is exemplary, and we hold the highest rating of food safety standards awarded by Mendip District Council (currently Somerset Council).

Special Dietary Requirements

Special dietary requirements, including food intolerances and allergies, are catered for by our professional catering team to ensure every child has the benefit of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. In addition, our policies ensure the School site is as nut-free as possible. Please be sure to specify any allergies on our Medical Form (see page 46).

Menus

Click here for more information and to see our menus.

Supper and Breakfast Pre-Order (Senior School Day pupils only)

To help Catering staff manage demand from the Dining Hall, you need to pre-book your child’s breakfast and/or supper by clicking here (Senior School Day pupils only). It costs £2.30 for each breakfast and £2.90 for each supper (these fees will be added to your termly school bill).

Mealtimes

Breakfast Monday to Saturday (Boarders):

Years 7-9 7.30am

Years 10-11 by 8.00am

Sixth Form by 8.15am

Lunch Monday to Friday:

Sixth Formers without a lesson during Period 3 12.20pm

Years 7-8 12.45pm

Year 9 12.50pm

Year 10 1.00pm

Year 11 1.10pm

Lower Sixth 1.20pm Upper Sixth 1.30pm

Lunch Saturday: Away Teams 12.20pm

Years 9 upwards 12.30pm

Years 7-8 Boarders 12.40pm

Supper Monday to Saturday (Boarders)

Years 7-9 5.30pm

Sixth Form 5.50pm

Years 10-11 6.00pm

Sundays (Boarders)

Years 7-9 Breakfast 8.45am

Years 10 upwards Breakfast 8.55am - 9.10am

Sunday In House 10.00am - 11.00am

Years 7-9 Brunch 12.00pm

Years 10 upwards Brunch 12.15pm

Years 7-9 Supper 5.00pm

Sixth Form and Chapel Choir Supper 5.10pm

Years 10 and 11 Supper 5.20pm

Pastoral Care

A-Z

Core Purpose and Code of Conduct

Core Purpose

At Wells, we believe pastoral care is providing all pupils with a brilliant foundation for life by ensuring they are supported to be who they are. We want our pastoral care at Wells to enable all pupils to:

• Have a sense of belonging and be contented, balanced and confident individuals who have the necessary tools to be able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives

• Have a high level of spiritual awareness, emotional intelligence and self control

• Be active and responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to the School and the wider world

• Be possessed of a good moral compass and a strong sense of honesty and integrity

• Be able to be and become themselves (Esto Quod Es) and equipped to work in partnership and in teams.

Code of Conduct: For All Members of the School Community

Schools exist to enable us to prepare for life in a demanding and exciting world. These aims require us to learn to know ourselves as well as learn to be the best of ourselves; in order to do this we work at School to:

• Discover our talents and develop them as far as possible

• Master academic subjects and useful skills

• Establish effective working habits

• Discipline ourselves to be efficient and reliable

• Learn to live happily and supportively with other people.

A community of learning cannot allow individual selfishness or thoughtlessness to obstruct its broader interests, so there must be an agreed code of conduct which governs all that we do as members of that community, whether as boarders, as day pupils, parents or as staff. Details of this code are explained in the fuller School Rules document and may change from time to time; the principles will not.

Our many visitors often comment favourably on the impressive conduct, appearance, helpfulness and friendliness of all they meet here. Be proud of the School and of your part in it. If something is reasonable and courteous, then it is unlikely to be wrong: behaviour which is inconsiderate, dangerous or bad mannered is invariably wrong.

School Work

Personal progress is central to the life of the School. We must all give support for the effective running of the School. This means being faultless in attending classes, being punctual, bringing necessary materials and completing tasks to the best of our ability. Commitment to all activities must be honoured as full parts of the School curriculum.

Personal Development

The School works happily if everyone behaves with respect for the individuality of others and the interests of the whole community; people are different from each other and must be allowed to be so, although individual impulses and wishes are sometimes less important than the interests of the community. Learning this balance is an important part of life here. There has to be mutual consideration, respect and courtesy among all members of the School community.

There needs to be a sense of personal responsibility in all, particularly for adopting a worthwhile and healthy lifestyle. Above all, no action of ours must bring danger, fear or unhappiness into the lives of others. Social life must be positive, avoiding excessively intimate or exclusive relationships, and giving due regard to the law, as in all things. We strive to achieve a culture opposed to the misuse of alcohol or drugs; drunkenness, underage drinking and the use of illegal drugs at any time is incompatible with membership of the community. We must all show respect for the property of individuals, the School and the estate, and show a respect for instructions when they are given.

School uniform is a statement about belonging to this community. It should therefore be worn with pride, and with care. Attention seeking styles of dress, hair and personal ornamentation are not appropriate.

Cathedral

We have been empowered by faith, hope and love from our Cathedral foundation. The Cathedral and our communal worship in it are central to the life of the community. Whatever our personal beliefs, they are enhanced by respect for the feelings and beliefs of others, and by mutual effort in building a reflective and positive atmosphere.

Home and School

Education is a partnership between pupils, schools and parents. Consideration for those who look after us at home or at School is vital. Everyone must play a part in ensuring good communication and understanding between home and School.

Classroom code of conduct

We

all

have the right to learn

This means that everyone should:

• Arrive on time

• Listen carefully to instructions

• Bring proper equipment: textbooks, exercise books and other equipment that is relevant and expected

• Not disrupt lessons

• Not interfere with the work of others

• Not interrupt when others are speaking

• Work quietly

• Do his or her homework

• Follow our Mobile Device Policy (see page 20).

We all have the right to be treated fairly

This means that everyone should:

• Be considerate

• Not make racist or sexist comments

• Not swear or name call

• Respect each others’ belongings

• Not fight or bully

We all have the right to work in a clean and attractive environment

This means that everyone should:

• Not drop litter

• Not eat, drink or chew in class

• Not vandalise

• Wear the correct uniform

We

all

have the right to be safe

This means that everyone should:

• Use equipment properly

• Not run or push

• Not act dangerously

Where Do I Turn?

Message for Pupils

Wells Cathedral School is the community to which we all belong. It is a caring community in which we try to live together happily and where we always respond to anyone who is unhappy or worried about anything. This explains what to do if you feel concerned about something at School.

Things that you may not be able to manage alone:

• You are fed up or unhappy

• You feel you are being treated unfairly

• You are being bullied

• Someone has made sexual suggestions that you feel are not right

• There are problems at home that are affecting you at School.

REMEMBER

There are all kinds of people in the School community to whom you can turn for help or advice. You should never feel alone or friendless.

WHO TO CONTACT:

• Your Tutor

• Your Houseparent

• Your Head of Year

• Any member of staff you feel you can trust

• The Chaplain

• The Head Master or Deputy Heads

• St. Andrew’s Lodge Medical Centre: 01749 834265

• School Counsellor: 07572 589228/01749 834267

• Your parents/guardian

• Independent Listener (Ben Taylor): 07508 088131

• Childline: 0800 1111 (free call)

• Ofsted: 0870 218 3800

• NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800500 (free call)

• Samaritans: 116 123

• Rape Crisis Line (Somerset & Avon): 0808 801 0456 (female) or 0808 801 0464 (male)

• Somerset Eating Disorder Helpline: 01749 343344

• Children’s Commissioner: 0800 528 0731 / www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk

1. Something is making you unhappy or worried. What can you do?

• Is there a friend who can help?

• Is there an older pupil you can talk to?

2. What about someone in your House?

• Can you talk to your Houseparent, Assistant Houseparent, Matron or other member of the House staff? They are there to help you.

3. Is there any other member of staff you can trust?

• What about your Tutor, the Chaplain or those at St. Andrew’s Lodge Medical Centre?

4. There may be circumstances when you would find it easier to talk to someone outside School.

• Your parents?

• The School counsellor (this is an entirely confidential service)?

5. Suppose you are still worried. You may feel the matter is so important you wish to take it further. What do you do?

• Speak to any member of staff or adult whom you can trust. You do not need to be on your own when you do this; you can have a friend, an older pupil or another member of staff with you.

6. If the matter cannot be dealt with to your satisfaction, then you can make a formal statement.

a. Write to your Houseparent or any adult listed stating that you wish to take this further.

b. She or he will register it into the Record Book held in the Head Master’s Office.

c. You will receive a note saying that the matter is being dealt with within two days of it being referred to the Head Master.

d. You will then be asked to talk through the problem. You may have a friend or adult with you then too.

e. You will be advised on what course of action to take.

f. After this advice, you will then need to make a decision.

Bullying is never acceptable in Wells Cathedral School. It is important to recognise that, although bullying does happen, we seek to nurture a culture in which pupils are valued as people and where bullying, when it occurs, is dealt with in a firm, sensitive and caring way. All members of the community have a duty to be alert to possible instances of bullying and to take action immediately.

The School has the ability to discipline pupils for bullying behaviour that occurs even when the pupil is not on our School premises or under the lawful control of School staff (Education and Inspection Act 2006).

We create an ethos of awareness, responsibility, kindness and respect.

Our ethos is one in which all pupils are valued not only by the teaching staff, but also by their peers. The way in which staff treat pupils and each other reflects this:

• Pupils should not be humiliated and made to feel inadequate

• All members of the community must be vigilant and observant, particularly in areas which are slightly out of sight and where pupils might be vulnerable

• All areas of the School will be appropriately supervised

• All members of the community should be sensitive to changes in behaviour, moodiness, and patterned absenteeism

• All members of the community should notify the Heads of Year, House staff and/or the Deputy Head (Academic or Pastoral) if they sense a pupil may be having problems

• Whole school pastoral trends, including bullying, are referred to the Welfare Team and are reviewed on a weekly basis

• Alleged bullying which focuses on the areas of equality and diversity (i.e., race, colour, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability) will be seen in the context of the School’s commitment to promoting an environment where all members of the community are valued and celebrated equally for their differences

Action on Bullying

• As part of the School’s PSHE and tutor programme, various issues to do with bullying are discussed across all ages. In addition, the use of drama, historic, current events, etc. are used to raise the topic

• All staff receive training to understand the principles and purpose of the School’s policy, its legal responsibilities regarding bullying, how to resolve problems, and where to seek support.

Message for Pupils

Every person in Wells Cathedral School belongs to a caring community in which we try to live together happily and where we always respond to anyone who is unhappy or worried about anything.

Every person in the School has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect. No one should be bullied.

Bullying is when a more powerful person or group of people intentionally intimidate anyone in order to cause physical or emotional distress.

BULLYING IS ALWAYS WRONG

Anyone who stands by while someone is bullied and does nothing is helping the bully.

If you are being bullied or know of anyone else who is being bullied you MUST tell. You could tell a parent, older pupil, teacher or adult whom you trust. The important thing is to let somebody know so that the School can deal with it. If we all work together we can make Wells Cathedral School bully-free.

Remember, there is nothing wrong with you if you are being bullied. You need help in stopping the bullying. The bully needs to be helped too.

For more information, please see our Anti-Bullying Policy

Mental Wellbeing

Our Vision

Ensuring the happiness and safety of all our pupils has always been core to what we do at Wells Cathedral School. We want all our pupils to be happy and successful, but in that order. That is why we strive to ensure our pastoral care is pupil-centred and allembracing. Recently, increasing focus has been given to the wellbeing of all school pupils, particularly with regard to their mental health. As a society, we have become much more attuned to the reality that a person’s mental wellbeing is just as important as their physical wellbeing. We are proud at Wells of the way we promote healthy lifestyles for our pupils, and of the vision we already have in place to help ensure pupils are wellcared for, whatever their particular needs or whenever they might encounter difficulties.

Key Initiatives

Some of our initiatives for our Senior School pupils include:

• A focus on mental health in Saint Andrew’s Lodge

• Our staff welfare group who meet weekly to discuss wellbeing issues

• A counselling and Mental Health Practitioner

• STEER Tracking programme, a proactive assessment designed to highlight hidden vulnerabilities in children

• Welfare Captains

• Our Tutor Programme

• Mental Health Leads

• Wellbeing Wednesdays

• Mind Body Voice (our programme for Years 8-9 to enable them to become confident communicators with a strong sense of self and wellbeing)

• Training from Girls On Board, an approach which helps girls, their parents and their teachers to understand the complexities and dynamics of girl friendships

• School Council

• Prefect Support Group

• Inclusivity Group

• Informal drop-in sessions with a counsellor or Mental Health Lead

• Wellbeing Hub.

We have received Optimus Education’s prestigious Wellbeing Award. Developed in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), the award is granted to schools who are able to demonstrate that they have made significant changes to their long-term wellbeing culture for pupils, parents and staff.

About our Service

The School Medical Centre, St. Andrew’s Lodge, is staffed during term time by a team of registered nurses, a paramedic, first aiders and counsellors. You can contact our medical team on: 01749 834260 / st.andrewslodge@ wells.cathedral.school

Notes for parents

• When your child is away from School, please inform the School Medical Team as soon as possible in the event of the following:

• They have been seen by a family doctor or specialist

• They have been exposed to an infectious illness, tropical disease or malaria (you need to report this before he or she returns to School)

• Pupils must not bring medication or drugs into School for their personal use unless prescribed by a doctor and with the knowledge of the Medical Centre. All medicines must be handed immediately to the House Matron. All Matrons and House staff can provide the following ‘over the counter’ remedies which they administer following a protocol:

• Paracetamol for pain and fever

• Sudafed for nasal congestion

• Bonjela for mouth ulcers

• Cetirizine for allergy relief

• Pupils do not hold a supply of their own medication without an assessment of safety by the Medical Team and Matron

• Parents should be aware that some medications prescribed overseas may not be licensed for use in the UK. In this case, the School Doctor will make an individual case assessment and offer a UK licensed alternative where appropriate. It is very important in such cases that as much medical information as possible is available to the School Doctor. If important information is not shared, this could result in the child being deemed ‘unfit for boarding’ in line with our School policies

Medical Care

• Controlled medicines, such as those prescribed for ADHD and associated conditions, must be held in accordance with Home Office and Department of Health legal guidelines. House staff have the appropriate storage facilities and training to store and administer this medication in House, but the School Doctor must approve this on a case-by-case basis

• Private physiotherapy can be arranged through the Medical Centre

• All pupils have access to the School counsellors

• Parents will be informed at the time of referral of any specialist appointments or other medical investigations arranged for pupils. The Finance Department deals with bills arising from private consultations. Please send details of any private health insurance for your child. An accompanying adult will provide escort for any appointments arranged offsite if parents aren’t available (there is an additional fee for this service, which is added to the school bill). Older pupils may not require an escort

• Whilst every endeavour will be made to contact parents in an emergency, the Deputy Head acting in loco parentis or a member of the School staff has the authority to give permission for urgent medical and/or surgical procedures to be carried out, including the administration of a general anaesthetic. It is important that parents leave an emergency contact number with House staff if they are away from home for any reason

• If you have any medical concerns about the health of your child, please discuss it with the Medical Team; we welcome communication with parents

• If your child is treated for asthma, epilepsy, anaphylaxis, diabetes, cancer or has a history of significant allergy, we feel it is important that staff are alerted to this. The diagnosis will appear on your child’s school electronic record; any further details are given only with the consent of yourself or the child.

Overseas Boarders

For those boarders who live abroad, a guardian will need to be appointed with whom a pupil can stay if unwell in certain circumstances. All boarders are registered with our local GP surgery who is responsible for their care. Please see our Boarding Handbook for more information.

Confidentiality

All medical information about pupils is confidential, whatever their age. Consultations with the School Counsellor are similarly confidential. On occasion, it may be necessary for the Medical Centre staff or the Counsellor to share information with parents, House staff and academic staff where the safety of a pupil or of other pupils may be compromised, or where there is a statutory duty to report. Ideally, this will be with the pupil’s prior consent, but there may be rare occasions when the School Doctor, Nurse and/or Counsellor considers that it is in the pupil’s better interests, or necessary for the protection of the wider school community, to divulge relevant information.

Physiotherapy

Our physio clinic, run by Central Somerset Physio, can help you with:

• Postural work for musicians

• Pain from playing an instrument

• Avoiding pain with your music practice

• Back or neck pain

• Sports injuries

• Sports injury prevention

• Knee pain

• Headaches

• Sports massages.

The initial consultation lasts 45 minutes and costs £40. Follow up visits are 30 minutes and cost £35. Please contact St. Andrew’s Lodge Medical Centre to book an appointment.

Special Dietary Requirements

Special dietary requirements, including food intolerances and allergies, are catered for by our professional catering team to ensure every child has the benefit of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. In addition, our policies ensure the School site is as nutfree as possible. Please be sure to specify any allergies on our Medical Form as detailed below.

Medical Forms

We need a completed medical form for all pupils. In addition, boarders will need to fill out the GP registration form. Both forms can be found on our website

Please note that more medical information for boarders can be found in our Boarding Handbook, which is also available via the link above.

Rewards and Sanctions

Wells Cathedral School’s core values are at the heart of all we do:

Creativity Aspiration Responsibility Endeavour

Our Rewards and Sanctions are designed to encourage all pupils to live by our values. Below you will find details of the principal elements of our Rewards and Sanctions Structure. More details are available in our Behaviour Management Policy

HEAD MASTER’S COMMENDATION COMMENDATION

MERIT

TUTOR ALERT

WARNING

DETENTION

REPORT

DEPUTY HEAD’S DETENTION/ FULL REPORT

HEAD MASTER’S COMMENDATION + 25 House Points

Awarded for outstanding conduct or an outstanding piece of work.

Notification to Tutor, Houseparent, parent and Head of Year.

COMMENDATION + 10 House Points

Awarded for excellent conduct or an excellent piece of work. Notification to Tutor, Houseparent, parent and Head of Year.

MERIT + 1 House point

Awarded for very good conduct or a very good piece of work. Notification to Tutor, Houseparent and parent.

TUTOR ALERT

To flag any initial concerns. Notification to Tutor only.

WARNING

Minor offence or behaviour infringement. Meeting with Tutor and notification to Houseparent

DETENTION

More serious offence or repeated Warnings (three per long Term).

Meeting with Head of Year. Notification to Tutor, Houseparent and parent. School detentions take priority over other commitments.

REPORT

More serious offence or persistent Warnings. Meeting with Head of Year. Notification to Tutor, Houseparent, parent and Deputy Head (Academic or Pastoral). A card requiring signatures and/or agreed targets for a week.

DEPUTY HEAD’S DETENTION/FULL REPORT

More serious offence or persistent Warnings - issued following meeting with Deputy Head (Academic or Pastoral).

Notification to Tutor, Houseparent, Head of Year and parent.

Who's Who

Our Governors and Parents and Friends’ Association

Our Governors

Our Governing Body comprises four out of eight members of the Chapter of Wells Cathedral together with other lay Governors. Our Governors’ Committees meet to review various aspects of the School. Please see our website for more information about our Governors and their Committees.

Parents and Friends’ Association (PFA)

The PFA’s mission is to advance the education of the pupils of Wells Cathedral School by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities for education at the School, not normally provided by the School, Governing Body or ancillary thereto, and in particular, (A) to foster more extended relationships between the staff, parents and others associated with the School, (B) Engage in activities which support the School and advance the education of the pupils attending it.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved with the work of the PFA.

• Support the events. We host a wide range of events, from informal quiz nights to dazzling fundraising parties so there should be something for everyone.

• Join the Committee. Elections are held each year in September at the Annual General Meeting.

• Help behind the scenes. Perhaps most importantly, the Committee is helped by large numbers of parents who get involved on an ad hoc basis, becoming anything from cake bakers and bar staff to raffle ticket sellers and secondhand uniform helpers!

If you have some free time or a good idea, please contact: pfa@wells.cathedral.school

Events and Activities

Events hosted by the PFA include:

• New Parents’ Welcome

• Bonfire Night

• Christmas Fair

• Advent Drinks Party

• Quiz Night

• Jazz Picnic

• Summer Ball

• Second-hand uniform sales

The PFA also hosts one-off events and is open to new ideas. To find out more and for details of the current Committee, please visit our Community website

Parent Year Reps and The Wellensian Association

Parent

Year Reps

Our Parent Year Reps are a group of parents who have volunteered to answer any questions you may have. Please do make contact to say hello! Year Reps can help with things like school routines, uniform questions, local information about Wells, etc.

Between them, they have many years of experience! If they don’t know an answer, they can find someone who does. Please also remember that you can contact your child’s Tutor about any issue, big or small.

Please visit our Parent Portal for the names and contact details of our current Parent Year Reps.

The Wellensian Association

The Wellensian Association provides a lifelong fellowship for all former pupils of Wells Cathedral School. This enables Old Wellensians (OWs) to keep in touch with each other and with Wells as well as provide financial and other support to the School. There is no membership fee and every leaver is automatically enrolled as a member. The Association works closely with, but independently of, The Wells Cathedral School Foundation.

They host regular events and keep in touch via their website, Facebook, LinkedIn and monthly news emails to members. They provide a members’ portal where OWs can view and update their details, find other OWs and view a wide selection from our archives. All of the above are accessible from our website

At the end of Trinity Term the Wellensian Association come into School for a welcome ceremony for all Upper Sixth leavers and presentation of their personally engraved wooden life-membership token.

They urge all former pupils to keep in touch and in particular to let us know if they change their email address! They can be contacted at chairman@oldws.org.uk and alumni@wells.cathedral.school

Money Matters

School Fees, Supplemental Charges and Methods of Payment

School Fees

Our current School fees can be found on our website Fees are reviewed annually by the Governors, and parents will be notified by a letter from the Chair of Governors at least a term in advance of any fee change.

Fees are billed three times a year in advance of the term to which they refer and any extras (e.g. music lessons, trips or activities) are billed in arrears. Bills are emailed to parents at the following times of year:

August – Michaelmas/Advent fees (including extras from the previous term)

December – Epiphany/Lent fees (including extras from the previous term)

April – Whitsun/Trinity fees (including extras from the previous term)

Payment is always due no later than the first day of the term.

Supplemental Charges

Any extra-curricular activities such as instrumental music lessons, trips and visits in which you agree your child may participate shall be deemed to be supplemental to items met by the fees and charged for accordingly. In particular, all public examination charges and any additional charges incurred by the School in providing for the special educational needs of your child shall be charged as supplemental to the fees.

Supplemental charges are invoiced in advance and in arrears depending on the nature of the charge. Where charged in arrears they must be paid in full before the first day of the term following the supplemental invoice except for invoices for supplemental charges raised after 30th April which must be paid before the 31st July following.

Methods of Payment

Flywire

You can pay your school fees on our website via Flywire, our preferred payment partner. Flywire is secure, safe, and fully trusted by Wells Cathedral School; Flywire enables you to:

• Pay from your home country in your home currency (for most countries) with competitive foreign exchange rates and no hidden fees with a Best Price Guarantee for bank transfers in your currency

• Use payment methods like bank transfer, credit card, and e-wallet (Alipay, PayPal), all available online from your home;

• Track your payment anytime via the web, Flywire mobile app, or by contacting Flywire directly. Flywire multilingual customer support is available around the clock by phone, live chat, email, and more.

Direct debit (UK bank accounts)

To give your authorisation to make all future payments for fees and extras by Direct Debit, please complete our Direct Debit instruction form and return it to the Fees Manager, Wells Cathedral School, The Bursary, College Road, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2SX.

For those having returned a completed Direct Debit instruction, all future bills for fees and extras will be emailed giving the required 10 working days’ notice of the Direct Debit. The date on which payment will be made will be indicated on the face on the bill.

Bank transfer (if not using Flywire)

For the bank details to use for overseas payments, please visit our Parent Portal

Deposit Refunds

Deposit Refunds and Insurance

When your child leaves the School, we will want to return your deposit. The refund will be shown on the very last bill, usually the Leavers Bill issued in August. The Bursary will ask for details to make arrangements when the bill is emailed.

Insurance

Parents are strongly advised to insure pupils’ persons against injury, and their personal effects against loss of damage. In particular, insurance should cover clothing, musical instruments, laptops, cameras, watches, tablets, mobile phones, cash and any other valuables. An extension to the parents’ household policy may often suffice. Parents may also wish to consider school fees insurance, which provides cover for fees in the event that a pupil is unable to attend school for extended periods due to illness. The School does not recommend any specific insurer or insurance policy, but an indicative list of providers offering such insurance products can be obtained from the Bursar on request.

A-Z

Checklist Checklist

Complete what we need from you

Please complete any applicable forms (all available from https://wells.cathedral.school/joining-us):

Medical Form

Emergency Contact Form

GP Registration Form (boarders only)

Guardianship Forms (international boarders only)

Direct Debit School Fee Payment Form (if you wish to pay by direct debit and have a UK bank account)

Music Lesson Booking Form (if your son/daughter wants to have music lessons at School; please see our website for fees)

Book any bus travel (for day pupils who want to use our School bus)

Prior to joining, you will also be invited to:

Select academic options (Year 10 and Lower Sixth)

Complete our languages form (Year 8 and Year 9)

Provide GCSE results, if applicable (Lower Sixth)

Let us know your flight arrival plans (boarders only)

Apply for a Child Student Visa (certain overseas pupils only)

Complete our boarding questionnaire (boarders only)

Prepare what you need to bring

This includes:

School uniform

PE/Sports kit

A device (chromebook/laptop)

Essential kit

Art kit, if applicable

Music kit, if applicable

Backpack

Boarding essentials (boarders only); see our Boarding Handbook for details

Activate your Parent Portal Account

In order to log in, you will need to create a password using this link (NB: Please use your own email address that you used to register your child; do not use your child’s email address.)

Once you have the password, you will be able to log in using this link.

Register on our Community website

This website brings together our wider community groups, including our Parents and Friends’ Association. Click here for the Registration form

Familiarise yourself with our websites

See both page 9 and the presentation on our website for details on how to find information about your child and for how to bookmark our websites.