INDEPENDENT SENIOR SCHOOL IN WELLS

Years 7 – 9

Our broad curriculum allows all pupils to develop skills and interests. This enables them to make appropriate choices for their GCSE options. Pupils study Art, Classics, English, French, Geography, History, Maths, Music, Religious Studies, Science and PSHE together with a course exploring a range of technology subjects. All pupils study French in Year 7. In Year 8, they choose either German or Spanish in addition to French and will then carry on with their chosen combination until the end of Year 9.

We recognise that all pupils need a proper balance of recreation and physical exercise so we also include Sport, Integrated Arts (consisting of art, music, drama and dance), as well as Outdoor Education.

Choristers and Specialist Musicians work together in dedicated forms following individually tailored learning programmes.

Years 10 and 11

We personalise your learning to follow a curriculum at a pace and in a direction that suits your needs and plays to your strengths but pushes you to reach your potential. We give you more freedom as you progress and encourage you to take responsibility for developing your own interests and skills within clear structures.

In Years 10-11, pupils prepare for their GCSE examinations. You can choose three GCSE options in addition to the core subjects of Mathematics, English Language and Literature, a Modern Foreign Language (usually from French, German or Spanish), Science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) and Religious Studies. This provides a comprehensive platform so your options are open when you come to choosing your A levels.

All pupils follow a PSHE course, and take part in the varied sport, PE and outdoor education programme.

Integrated arts (Years 7-9)

Our integrated approach to teaching art, photography, drama, dance, music and food technology allows for creativity, imagination and flexibility and builds our pupils’ confidence and curiosity by giving them the opportunity for self-expression through risk-taking, teamwork, resourcefulness and reflection. It also enables our pupils to investigate themes from multiple viewpoints so they can see the connections between the arts; previous themes include surrealism, cultural creativity, entertainment, style, media, identity and structures.

Our curriculum is supported by our integrated arts workshop days (where pupils go off timetable for a fun day to explore a specific topic area), visiting professional practitioners from all the arts areas who come to work with our pupils, and trips to places like Stratford-upon-Avon (RSC), The Globe London, the National Theatre South Bank, Tate, Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery for both workshops and performances.

Dance

In addition to our curriculum lessons, we offer 1:1, paired and group tuition in many dance styles. We can provide examination classes in Modern Theatre with ISTD. Modern Theatre dance is often seen on the stages of musical productions and is known for its theatrical qualities. We also offer a range of styles without examination – contemporary, street, jazz, musical theatre dance and beginners ballet – that build upon dance skills, technique and confidence from lessons and support any further dance tuition.

Our Dance Companies have competed in national dance competitions such as The Big Dance Off. Dance Troupes are formed to choreograph impressive routines for various dramatic and musical productions. We support pupil-led initiatives, such as the recent Street Dance outfit ‘Blanc’ and the multi-disciplinary project ‘Reborn’: a Dance, Lighting, Drama, Music Tech and Percussion Project, providing the pupils with performance opportunities in Cedars Hall and at showcase events.

Drama

Our varied programme of opportunities ranges from the classics to the eclectic with dramatic work often approached as a collaborative ensemble between pupils and staff, and pupils often compose and play the music in our plays. In addition to their drama lessons and drama activity, pupils in Years 7-9 can participate in a production specifically for this age cohort, Drama Club or the Shakespeare School’s Festival. From Year 10, pupils can audition for the Senior School Production. Our recent productions include A Christmas Carol, Our Country’s Good, High School Musical, Grease, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast and Les Misérables, attended by Sir Cameron Mackintosh. 

Our House Drama competition ‘The Bigny Cup’, and smaller ‘Fringe’ productions that run throughout the year ensure that all have the opportunity to perform.

For all pupils, we offer individual, pair or group tuition in both Speech and Drama and Musical Theatre as well as an extensive programme of theatre visits and professional theatre workshops.

Scholarships are available for current ability and potential.

When you come to Wells, the first thing that strikes you is our amazing grounds – we’re so lucky to have one of the most stunning cricket pitches in the country. But even more important than that is the quality of the staff. I’m so proud to have an amazing team here who are incredibly talented and deeply dedicated to supporting our pupils.

Our philosophy is to enable and empower our pupils – whatever their ability level – to understand their own bodies and what they need to do progress and improve. Happily, we have some great success stories of Wells pupils representing their county and even their country.

I’m passionate about what we do, and I’d love to show you around our beautiful part of the world. Please get in touch – I look forward to hearing from you.

Tom Webley, Director of Sport

Opportunities

Our competitive 1st teams play regularly on a strong circuit across the region in all major sports. We provide training pre-season 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.

Leadership opportunities

We offer an outstanding Sports Leadership Programme. In Lower Sixth, our sports leaders undertake a practical-based course to learn how to deliver sport safely as well as earn their Young First Aider qualification. The programme culminates in a sports leader-led tournament.

We also offer a Young Sports Leadership Programme for athletes in Years 7 and 8 who have additional skills sessions and learn the following topics at greater depth: nutrition, injury prevention, sports psychology, strength and conditioning, goal setting and pathway to elite sport.

Opportunities

We have a thriving optional Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award scheme. Pupils can enrol on the DofE Award at any of the three levels: Bronze, Silver or Gold. They achieve a DofE Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections. They’ll find themselves doing activities such as helping people in the community, getting fitter, developing skills and going on an expedition. We offer Bronze in Year 9, Silver in Year 10 and Gold in Lower Sixth. Over 100 pupils sign up for the scheme each year with an incredible rate of success.

Our co-curricular activity options include: camp craft, natural navigation, teamwork, orienteering, expedition first aid, marksmanship, problem solving and decision making. We organise camping trips, rock climbing, hill walking, archery, bushcraft, adventurous activity residentials and expeditions to far flung parts of the globe, such as skiing in the Alps and trekking to Everest Base Camp and Machu Picchu.

Our team

A former Royal Marine, our Director of Outdoor Learning, Stuart Elks has a degree in Outdoor Education and is a qualified teacher. When not running Shrewsbury Boarding House, he can be found running in the Mendip Hills with his spaniel and searching for a good surf break on the North Devon Coast with his wife Hannah.

Glyn Lancey is the CCF School Staff Instructor and Training Officer. He holds numerous qualifications in both Cadets and the DofE Award.

Stuart and Glyn are supported by a passionate team of teachers who are qualified to instruct rock climbing, mountaineering, canoeing, caving, sailing and skiing.

Where we go

Our pupils are able to walk north from the school into the beautiful limestone Mendip Hills or to the sprawling Somerset levels. We benefit greatly from having two richly diverse environments on our doorstep. Our extensive programme includes abseiling at Split Rock Quarry and rock climbing at Fairy Cave Quarry. Our climbing wall is reset biannually and used every day for Games options. Bushcraft skills are taught in the woods surrounding our private secondary school site whilst archery is taught on site. Every pupil has the opportunity to try caving and make the most of this rich tradition here in Somerset.

Our Royal Air Force cadets take to the skies at Boscombe Down in Dorset most Wednesdays. Our Royal Navy cadets learn to sail at Cheddar Reservoir as well as scuba dive in our swimming pool. Our Army cadets use the brand new Army Cadet Force shooting range in Wells and Yoxter Combined Cadet Force training area to develop their marksmanship skills each week.

Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE Award) is optional and entirely voluntary. Pupils can enter the DofE Award at three levels: Bronze, Silver or Gold. They achieve a DofE Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections. They’ll find themselves doing activities such as helping people in the community, getting fitter, developing skills and going on an expedition.

We offer Bronze in Year 9, Silver in Year 10 and Gold in Lower Sixth. The majority of participants enter at Bronze in Year 9, but a smaller number do enter at Silver or Gold (for details on the Gold award, please see our Sixth Form page).

Bronze Award applicants must complete one expedition to achieve their award. We offer two opportunities to complete a Bronze Expedition each year; these are the two weekends (Sat/Sun) before the Glastonbury Festival in June (Trinity term).

Silver Award applicants must complete a Practice Expedition and a Qualifying Expedition. The Practice Expedition happens on the first exeat of the year in September (Fri/Sat/Sun). The Qualifying Expedition happens on the first weekend of the Easter holidays (Fri/Sat/Sun).