News | Independent School | Wells Cathedral School

17 Feb 2025

Tilly selected to represent Hockey Wales U18s in upcoming Euros

Tilly M (Lower Sixth) has been selected to represent the Hockey Wales U18 team, making the final squad of 26. This will mean lots of training, camps and a series against other nations in preparation for the Euros which will take place in the summer.Mr Mayes, Head of Hockey, comments, “This is a great achievement and marks Tilly’s second year in the programme. It’s particularly impressive given she is in the Lower Sixth, and I’m really pleased with the way...

13 Feb 2025

Announcement of new Director of Development and Head of Foundation

Wells Cathedral School is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Director of Development and Head of Foundation. Jess Newman will join us after Easter and will bring a wealth of experience as well as great drive and passion to this important community engagement and fundraising role within the School.Jess is currently Director of Development at Downside School. She will be joining Wells Cathedral School as the next step in her career, having already built a strong track record...

Wells tops Sunday Times list for Somerset secondary schools WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

10 Feb 2025

Sunday Times list best secondary schools – including Wells!

We are delighted to be ranked as the best Secondary School in Somerset outside of Bath in the Sunday Times, as highlighted in an article by the Somerset County Gazette. The list saw us hand-picked at number 451 out of the 709, topping Downside, Millfield and Taunton School.This prestigious acknowledgment reflects the dedication and hard work of our pupils, staff and the entire School community. It also follows the recognition that ours was ranked the top Sixth Form in Somerset...

10 Feb 2025

OW Cian wins GRAMMY

Huge congratulations to OW Cian Ducrot (2017) who has been awarded his first GRAMMY! Cian was a specialist flautist and songwriter at Wells and has picked up the prestigious Recording Academy award for songwriting. Cian is pictured performing on the School’s Hong Kong tour while he was a pupil.Click here to find out more about Specialist Music at Wells.Download the FREE Wells Cathedral School app to easily keep up with the parts of Wells that interest you, interact with our...

10 Feb 2025

OW Abi fundraises to fix well

We are celebrating OW Abi Beech (2024)’s efforts to reinstate a well in Madagascar. Abi visited Madagascar as part of our biodiversity research expedition in collaboration with Operation Wallacea in the summer of 2023. The village well near the camp the group were staying at wasn’t working and there was no local access to clean water. On her return to School, Abi cut off her hair to raise money to fix the well. Her efforts totalled £2500 and the water...

10 Feb 2025

German workshop

Pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10 currently studying German attended a German workshop delivered by an external company called Futbol Lingo. Pupils first listened to a motivational talk about the importance of foreign languages in the football industry and gained an insight into the range of career options available in this field, where language skills would be invaluable, such as coaching, sports journalism, scouting, sports medicine, intermediary and more. This was followed by a classroom session in German where...

10 Feb 2025

Sixth Form mock interviews

Friday 31st January saw all 98 Lower Sixth Formers experiencing mock interviews as part of their ‘Steps to Success’ programme. Twenty-two interviewers from backgrounds as diverse as TV production to the military gave up their time to come into the School to put the Lower Sixth through their paces. The Lower Sixth were interviewing for notional GAP year opportunities at the School. The pupils were asked to identify which part of the School they would like to work in and...

10 Feb 2025

Promenade Concerts

Promenade season is always extremely special. The chairs in the body of the Cathedral are removed, the lighting is specifically arranged and the atmosphere is a magical one. Music can appear all over the building and the audience can follow the sound, or sit or stand and appreciate from a distance.The concerts this year were as wonderful as one would expect from our exceptional young musicians, and every year there is something new to appreciate. From the high gallery above...

04 Feb 2025

Wells Cathedral School Announces Sponsorship Partnership with Mogers Drewett LLP

Wells Cathedral School is delighted to announce a new sponsorship partnership with Mogers Drewett LLP, a leading Legal and Financial Planning firm renowned for personal financial advice and its dedication to supporting communities and excellence in education.This partnership represents a shared commitment to nurturing talent and fostering opportunities for young people in the South West. Mogers Drewett’s sponsorship will support a range of initiatives at Wells Cathedral School, enhancing its mission to inspire and empower pupils to achieve their full...

24 Jan 2025

Kindness named Oxford Children’s Word of the Year, echoing Wells’ core values

The announcement of “kindness” as the Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2024 by Oxford University Press has struck a chord with our community, where the values of Creativity, Aspiration, Responsibility and Endeavour – spelling out the word CARE – form the foundation of our School ethos. Kindness has long been a guiding principle at Wells, underpinning the community spirit and shaping the experiences of our pupils. The word being chosen by children nationally highlights the importance of fostering compassion...

24 Jan 2025

Ralf selected for English Lambs

We are thrilled to share that Boys’ Rugby 1stXV Captain Ralf W (Upper Sixth) has been selected to represent the English Lambs national squad.Ralf has enjoyed a whirlwind month; on Saturday 11th January he attended a trial which saw him selected for the South West region of the English Lambs. The following weekend, on Sunday 19th January, he represented the region in games against the North, Midlands and South East Lambs at Harrow School. As a result of his excellent...

13 Jan 2025

Emma shines at National Youth Music Competition

We are thrilled for Emma S (Lower Sixth) who competed in the National Youth Music Competition (NYMC) in South Africa last month, achieving the gold medal as the competition’s overall winner. Emma was awarded the prize for the best performance of a South African work, the Polina Burdukova prize for the best performance of a work by a Russian composer by a string instrumentalist and the prize for the best performance of a concerto in the final round. Her prize...

13 Jan 2025

Ski trip to Les Menuires

Over the Christmas holidays, 42 pupils enjoyed a wonderful week of skiing in Les Menuires, France.Pupils were treated to glorious snow conditions and had ski lessons throughout the day with fun activities in the evening including a toboggan roller coaster, sports activities and karaoke. Everyone made lots of progress and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all pupils and staff.Click here if you would like to learn more about Outdoor Education at Wells.

09 Jan 2025

Wells ranked top Sixth Form in Somerset

The Somerset County Gazette ran an article listing the top ten colleges and sixth forms in Somerset using data from the Department for Education. Comparing the county’s 49 colleges and sixth forms, the newspaper revealed the ranking according to the average grade and average points that pupils achieved per A level entry (e.g. a maximum of 60 points were available for a grade A* at A level). Wells Cathedral School topped the list with an average point score of 41.38...

20 Dec 2024

Choristers record A Ceremony of Carols

December saw the release of a very special recording of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols by our wonderful Choristers with harpist Olivia Jageurs, directed by Alexander Hamilton.The Choristers’ annual performance around Candlemas of this special piece has become a much-loved fixture in the Wells Cathedral calendar, supporting the vital work of the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust.This recording was made possible thanks to the generous support of Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust and the Choir Schools Association. Production by David Hinitt and Classical...

16 Dec 2024

12 Days of Christmas

We are delighted to share a Wells Cathedral School version of the 12 Days of Christmas!With a little help from pupils in our Pre-Prep up to our Sixth Form, our musicians, our specialist mathematicians and even a Chorister, we are proud to show off just a few of the many things that make up our special School.We hope you enjoy the sound of our Brass quintet together with a number of our Vocal specialists as they take you around our...

16 Dec 2024

National choir selections

Following the latest rounds of auditions, we are delighted that no fewer than ten of our pupils have been accepted as members of one of the national choirs: National Children’s Choir or National Youth Choir. The latest successful auditionees come from all parts of the School; including current Choristers, former Choristers and specialist musicians. Many congratulations to Belinda G-G, Michael D, Zino Z (Year 9) and Aleksei L (Year 10) who will be joining the 9-15 age category of the...

16 Dec 2024

House Singing Competition

The Senior School gathered in Cedars Hall on Wednesday 11th December for the highly anticipated House Singing Competition. This year each House delivered movie-worthy performances of well-known songs from films including This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life from Dirty Dancing, The Eye Of The Tiger from Rocky III and Skyfall from Skyfall. The winners were Cedars House for their dedicated performance (pictured) of (Everything I Do) I Do It For You from Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves. The staff then took to the stage to sing White Christmas from Holiday Inn before...

West Side Story WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

13 Dec 2024

West Side Story triumph at Strode Theatre

After weeks of rigorous rehearsals, almost 100 individuals making up the West Side Story (Year 10 – Upper Sixth) production team have just completed a week’s residency at Strode Theatre, playing to over 2000 people over the sold-out run and achieving a standing ovation on the final night. We are particularly proud of the many opportunities offered to actors, musicians, dancers and stage crew in this initiative, including how all lead roles were double-cast. Free tickets were also offered to...

13 Dec 2024

Prep School Christmas Celebration

For over thirty years, the Advent Term has culminated in the Christmas Celebration: a tradition in the Prep School that blends the traditional with the modern, with choral, instrumental and spoken pieces woven together to create its own unique blend of Christmas magic. Once again this year, our pupils rose to the challenge admirably and we could not have been more proud of them. The sheer amount of words learnt, the commitment and focus shown and the joy on their...

13 Dec 2024

Christmas cards for care homes

During the Advent Term, pupils from all around the School have been making and writing Christmas cards which we have had delivered this week to residents of local care homes, with any remaining cards being donated to the Mayor’s Christmas Eve lunch for people who will be alone on Christmas Day. Hundreds of cards were collected by former Mayor of Wells, Philip Welch, some of which were based on the Christmas traditions of different countries and included messages in foreign...

09 Dec 2024

Movember total

We are very proud to say that out of 444 schools who signed up and raised money for Movember, Wells Cathedral School finished a very respectable 33rd place for the total funds raised! This was a magnificent £2,638.78 on the Rugby Movember page plus an additional £120 via JustGiving. Thank you to everyone who took part in and donated to this significant cause.

09 Dec 2024

The Fleece Force

The Pre-Prep children absolutely blew us all away with their incredibly professional and passionate performance of The Fleece Force. The production follows the story of a conscientious new recruit to the Fleece Force, ‘Woolley’, who is so keen to do everything ‘by the book’ and finding the more relaxed attitudes of her partner, ‘Jumper’, rather frustrating! The story follows their journey as they start to join the dots and realise that something very special is happening in Bethlehem. The Pre-Prep children...

06 Dec 2024

House Public Speaking Competition

Chris D (Lower Sixth) writes the following account of our House Public Speaking Competition:“Last Friday was St Andrew’s Day which culminated in the return of the School’s annual Inter-House Public Speaking Competition. The competition was fiercer than ever, the standard of public speaking consistently top drawer. The themes from the evening’s speeches varied from American politics to women’s rights to comedy. In the end, Ritchie House were victorious with their topical speech: TikTok: It’s Time for Social Media to Go,...

02 Dec 2024

Zino is CSA Chorister Composer 2024

We are delighted to share that Zino Z (Year 9) is the Choir Schools’ Association (CSA) Chorister Composer of 2024, having won the up to 14 age category of the Composition Competition in memory of Sir David Willcocks.The CSA Chorister Composition Competition is a prestigious annual contest that invites young composers at choir schools and choristers from across the UK to create original musical compositions. There have been many distinguished adjudicators over the decades, including Sir David Willcocks himself. This year’s entries were...

02 Dec 2024

Community Music Project’s celebratory day

Our Community Music Project has been a weekly combination of creativity and collaboration with St Joseph’s and St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School and our Prep School.Jayne Obradovic, Head of Percussion, describes how, “each session has offered something unique and has inspired the children to participate in a wide range of skills. The best part has been seeing the children develop in confidence and growing not just as musicians but as a community! Each week we have seen new faces, some...

27 Nov 2024

Somerset and Avon County Hockey selections

We are delighted to announce a number of county Hockey selections! Congratulations to Isabelle D, Harley F and Wilf L (Year 8), Thomas B, Olivia B, Emma G, Ezra H, Kieran K, Josef Z and Elspeth P (Year 9), Sebastian S, Carson G-S, Samuel C, Caitlin F, Maisie W (Year 10), Henry T (Year 11) and Sophie J (Lower Sixth).Head of Hockey, Mr Mayes, comments, “We are delighted that these pupils have been selected to represent Somerset Hockey for the...

27 Nov 2024

Musical Extravaganza

Monday 18th November’s Extravaganza concert was a joyful celebration of music, with pupils of all ages performing side by side in a programme that ranged from Mussorgsky’s A Night on A Bare Mountain to the jazz worlds of Coltrane, Ellington and Miles Davis; with even a little Star Wars along the way from the All-Comers Orchestra. Our three Extravaganza concerts taking place across the academic year are always hugely popular and showcase the enormous variety of music-making at Wells. As one parent commented: “One of...

19 Nov 2024

Primary Schools Maths Festival

This year, the Maths Department celebrated their 22nd Primary Maths Festival by hosting 11 teams of four Year 5 and 6 pupils from local primary schools in a day of fun mathematical activities. The day began with a poster competition based on the theme of ‘Twelve’ and they were really impressed by the variety of ideas the pupils displayed. Teams then took part in a fast-paced mathematical relay race before a well earned lunch break. In the afternoon, pupils tackled...

18 Nov 2024

Year 10 Rugby reach National Plate Quarter-Final

In November, the Year 10 Rugby team travelled to Ivybridge Community College for Round 3 of the Schools Cup National Plate Competition. It was a physical game but Wells took the game to the opponents in the first half with a well-executed performance to take a 19-0 lead into half time. In the second half, Wells struck first to extend their lead and were dominant for the majority of the second half. A late rally from Ivybridge set a few...

18 Nov 2024

Wells remembers

Our School community marked Armistice Day through Remembrance Services in the Cathedral and Cedars Hall, with performances of The Last Post by Milo B (Year 11), one of our Year 6 trumpeters and Charlie B (Upper Sixth), as well as Cole C (Year 10) in the Wells marketplace.A Remembrance Service was also held on Remembrance Sunday; our Choristers and Chamber Choir took part in a devotional performance of Fauré’s Requiem featuring violinist Ruan S (Lower Sixth), and our CCF were part of the...

18 Nov 2024

History trip to Normandy

This half Term, the History Department took a group of 36 Year 9s, 10s and 11s to visit sites associated with D-Day and the subsequent invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord) in 1944, 80 years ago. Day one involved exploration of Caen, the historic capital of Normandy and the principal objective of British and Canadian forces during the early phase of the campaign.Day two involved an exploration of the battlefields south of Caen including Hill 112 where men from Somerset fought...

Sierra Leone WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

08 Nov 2024

Sierra Leone trip 2024

Over the October half Term a group of sixteen Sixth Form pupils and five members of staff embarked on a life-changing educational trip to Sierra Leone. The journey was filled with diverse and enriching experiences that brought together cultural exchange, community outreach, and academic collaboration.The trip included a day spent on a beautiful beach offering the pupils a chance to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty of the country and a trip to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, but the heart...

18 Oct 2024

Animal Magic

Cedars Hall was filled with birds, beasts and Animal Magic in October, for our four performances to audiences young and old.Carnival of the Animals became a spectacular feast for the eyes, with stunning choreography and movement from the Dance and Drama Departments melding seamlessly with the music. Outstanding musical performances came from Symphony Orchestra pupils, with both soloists and orchestra shining. The spectacle was particularly enjoyed in matinée performances to our Prep School on Wednesday 16th and local primary schools...

18 Oct 2024

Bless the Pets

On Monday 14th October, Prep School families were invited to bring their pets to the Pre-Prep playground for “Bless the Pets” Day. Children had the opportunity to see the various pets, which were collectively blessed by Reverend Tom Handy (OW 1998). Thank you to everyone who brought in their furry friend(s)!To learn more about our Pre-Prep, click here, and about our Prep School, click here.

17 Oct 2024

Welsh 3000s

Over the September Exeat weekend, six pupils and three staff headed to Snowdonia (Eyri) National Park for a weekend of mountaineering. On the first day, the pupils headed to the Glyderau range, summiting seven peaks (Eilidir Fach (795m), Eilidir Fawr (924m), Mynydd Perfedd (812m), Foel Goch (831m), Y Garn (947m), Glyder Fawr (1001m), Glyder Fach (994m)) and dropped back into the valley just as the sun was setting in the distance over the Menai Straits and the Isle of Anglesey....

17 Oct 2024

NYO selections

We have received word of a number of our pupils being selected into the National Youth Orchestra. Huge congratulations to Year 10 pupils Cole C (Trumpet) and Jacob P (Flute/Piccolo), Lower Sixth pupils Izzy C-N (Double Bass), Esther L (Viola), Jasper Y (Clarinet) and Morgan B (Joint Principal Trombone), and Upper Sixth pupils Riana T (Viola), Harry J (Cello), Keiran C (Percussion), Conrad T (Horn) and Megan B (Bassoon).To learn more about Specialist Music at Wells, click here.

17 Oct 2024

Prep School Harvest Festival

On Thursday 10th October, the Prep School held their annual Harvest Festival! This marked our first full Prep School assembly of the year, with everyone from Nursery to Year 6 joining together. The service began with a welcome from Mr Wells before everyone sang the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. Two Year 6 girls then delivered a beautiful reading of The Last Leaf by Harry Behn, after which the Pre-Prep took to the stage to sing Paintbox (Cauliflowers Fluffy)....

17 Oct 2024

Chorister Camp-Out

On Friday 27th September, our Choristers forwent their cassocks and gathered their warm clothes, sleeping bags and tents for their annual Camp-Out in the Cathedral. After their usual Chorister Tea at School, the Senior Choristers headed down to the Cathedral for a “fireside” camping sing-around, before being joined by the Junior Choristers for pizza. The tents were then pitched in the Cathedral, and beds set up for the night, before watching Pixar’s Ratatouille under the Scissor Arches, complete with hot...

04 Oct 2024

Bigny Cup

We are delighted to share the wonderful success of this year’s Bigny Cup, which has been a true celebration of the incredible acting, musical, and creative talents of our pupils. The performances were exceptional, with each house presenting unique and entertaining interpretations of beloved films.The evening featured the terrors of Jurassic Park, an uplifting and inspirational Barbie, a creative retelling of Star Wars, the beautiful story of Titanic, The creative and humorous Indiana Jones and the whirlwind adventure of Pirates of the Caribbean. Each house displayed not only...

01 Oct 2024

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, Patron of the Wells Cathedral Choristers Trust attended a fundraising concert in aid of Drakensberg Boys Choir, based in South Africa supported by Wells Cathedral School.

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Wells Cathedral on the 25th September in her capacity as Patron of Wells Cathedral Choristers Trust. A fundraising concert was performed by the incredible Drakensberg Boys Choir alongside Wells Cathedral Schools choir and musicians, and Wells Cathedral choristers.The performance was a spectacular whirlwind of choral music featuring an eclectic repertoire, blending classical and Afro-Pop music, Coldplay and even a little bit of choreography and audience participation. The audience were dazzled by the talent and...

27 Sep 2024

European Day of Languages

To celebrate European Day of Languages, all Year 7 and 8 pupils have been invited to bake something European or in the shape of a European monument, a survey about how many languages are spoken in our School community has been sent to pupils and staff, and pupils were given a presentation about the importance of learning foreign languages during tutor time. Furthermore, there was a European menu offering in the dining hall including pizza and stroganoff, and the Senior...

BBC Young Musician WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

27 Sep 2024

BBC Young Musician live auditions 2024

The BBC Young Musician live audition highlights have been broadcast on BBC Four and are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Take a look at Auditions 1 to see Emma S (Lower Sixth) and Auditions 2 to see Morgan B (Lower Sixth), Lily O (Upper Sixth), Harold Lee, Kamil Kulich and Defne Anar (OW 2024).Alex Laing, Director of Music, commented, “We can be so proud of having six of the final 50 young musicians from Wells. It shows how strong we are across...

27 Sep 2024

Wells Cathedral School unveils new app

We are thrilled to announce that a new Wells Cathedral School app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play. The app enables you to easily access the Parent Portal and other useful links, keep up with the parts of Wells that interest you and interact with our social media feeds; it will be your one-stop-shop for all things Wells! We recommend that you turn on notifications to stay in the loop with the many...

Be a Chorister for a Day BACFAD WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

23 Sep 2024

Experiencing Chorister life: Wells Cathedral welcomes aspiring Choristers for ‘an afternoon in the life’

On Saturday 21 September, Wells Cathedral hosted a fabulous, free, ‘behind the scenes’ afternoon, during which children were able to experience the life of a Cathedral Chorister.Thirty children aged between six and nine came from schools across Somerset and beyond for the annual Be a Chorister for a Day event where they met the Cathedral Choristers and participated in engaging and fun singing workshops.The afternoon culminated in singing Choral Evensong in the Quire of the Cathedral with the world-renowned Choir....

21 Sep 2024

DofE Qualifying Expeditions

During the summer holidays, a number of pupils completed the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Gold and Silver Qualifying Expeditions. The four teams of Gold participants completed their qualifying venture in Southern Snowdonia, whilst the 38 Silver participants had their assessed expedition in the Brecon Beacons. These expeditions are planned by pupils and are self-sufficient, meaning they had to plot their own routes as teams, navigate independently of adults and carry all of their own kit including food and tents. The...

21 Sep 2024

Niall Mellis memorial Rugby match

This year’s Rugby officially began on Friday 6th September as our Senior 1st XV played their annual fixture against Wells Rugby Club. This event holds special meaning for both our School and Wells RFC, who play each year to fondly remember Old Wellensian, Niall Mellis. Niall was a pupil at Wells Cathedral School and a member of Wells RFC who sadly lost his battle with cancer during his final year at School in 2013. Rugby was a great passion of...

04 Sep 2024

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh to attend a fundraising concert in aid of Drakensberg Boy Choir, based in South Africa supported by Wells Cathedral School. HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh is a Patron of the Wells Cathedral Choristers Trust.

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh will visit Wells Cathedral on the 25th September in support of the Drakensberg Boys Choir who will be performing a fundraising concert alongside the Wells Cathedral Schools Choir and Musicians. The performance will be a diverse repertoire, blending classical and Afro-Pop music, and will captivate the audience. The repertoire will range from the timeless compositions of Carl Orff and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the vibrant rhythms of Afro-Pop and traditional African contemporary works, promising to...

Wells Cathedral School WCS GCSE results day independent prep Somerset England

22 Aug 2024

Year 11 pupils celebrate super set of 2024 GCSE results

Continuing on from the success of this year’s A-level results, Wells Cathedral School is thrilled to announce another excellent year of GCSE achievements across a wide range of subjects. Impressively, just under half our pupils secured the top grades 7-9, with an equally impressive 12% attaining the very top grade of 9, and nearly 30% achieving grades 8 to 9.Our pupils have been celebrating their remarkable success across the whole range of subjects studied at Wells from the Sciences to...

15 Aug 2024

Excellent A Level Results at Wells Cathedral School

Wells Cathedral School is delighted to announce another year of excellent A level results, with our pupils achieving outstanding outcomes across a variety of subjects. These results are a testament to the dedication and hard work of the pupils, as well as the unwavering support and guidance from our teaching staff.Pupils have been celebrating their success across a range of subjects, from sciences to the humanities and to the creative arts. Among many highlights were 100% of Photography pupils gaining...

19 Jul 2024

Out of this World Symphony Orchestra Concert

What a way to end the musical year at Wells. Out of this World lived up to its billing: it was music making on another level.Guided beautifully by Tess Jackson, the young conductor recently chosen as one to watch and a Classic FM rising star, the Symphony Orchestra performed works by Aaron Copland, Huw Watkins and Gustav Holst in a full Wells Cathedral. The Brass and Percussion sound reverberated around the building in Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man...

19 Jul 2024

ISOTY Awards: Performing Arts in the Prep School shortlist!

What better way to finish the year than with the news that we have been shortlisted in the Independent School Parent Independent Schools of the Year (ISOTY) Awards for Performing Arts in the Prep School.This is an extraordinary way to follow up June’s success in the Muddy Stilettos Schools Best Schools Awards for Dynamic Performing Arts (Prep School). We are so proud of the Prep School team!To learn more about Creative Arts in our Prep School, click here.

15 Jul 2024

Opera Scenes

Only at Wells – Opera Scenes!Hot on the heels of the astonishing String Showcase and excellent, vibrant Jazz Picnic, Mr Finch and his company of acting singers and singing actors produced a wonderful concert of Purcell, one of England’s finest composers. In the first half, the chamber choir delighted the audience with some of Purcell’s best known anthems. Hearing solos from within the choir, especially from the younger voices, demonstrated what good shape our Vocal Department is in for the...

15 Jul 2024

Jazz Picnic

The 2024 Jazz Picnic was a roaring success with a record crowd and some outstanding performances. The Jazz Ensemble features some of our younger pupils but the band sounded crisp and was a fitting tribute to their director, Mr Jack Coward, who sadly leaves us this year. The Senior Jazz combo have had an excellent year and have been on top form since their return from the New York tour. Their improvised solos demonstrated real virtuosity and a depth of...

02 Jul 2024

Wellensian Association 100th birthday party

The Wellensian Association was thrilled to welcome over 150 Old Wellenisans to their 100th Association Reunion on Saturday 22nd June.From Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany to the USA, Australia and New Zealand, Wells Cathedral School welcomed former pupils from all corners of the world and throughout the UK. The School also welcomed seven Heads and former Heads. Mr John Birch, OW from the year of 1949, was invited along with Mr Alastair Tighe to cut the cake. As well as the...

Isaac at Glastonbury Festival WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

02 Jul 2024

Isaac opens at Glastonbury Festival

Isaac (Year 9) performed as part of the opening ceremony at Glastonbury Festival (run by OWs Michael and Emily Eavis) on Wednesday 26th June, lead solo drumming on the djembe with his drumming troop before the fireworks display. Isaac performed with the drumming troop throughout the Festival, playing traditional West African rhythms as the lead soloist!To learn more about Percussion Studies at Wells, click here.

02 Jul 2024

Romeo and Juliet

A huge congratulations to our wonderful cast of actors, dancers, and musicians for their outstanding, sold-out performance of Romeo and Juliet in the Lady Chapel of Wells Cathedral. It was a truly magical evening that none of us will ever forget. We are immensely proud of each one of them and remain in awe of their remarkable talents. One audience member commented, “Well, it did exactly all the things you wrote about in the programme. Memorable beyond belief, the setting,...

Muddy Stilettos' Best Schools Awards 2024 for Dynamic Performing Arts (Prep School) WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

02 Jul 2024

Muddy Stilettos’ Best Schools Awards 2024 for Dynamic Performing Arts (Prep School) Winners!

We are thrilled to share that we have won Muddy Stilettos’ Best Schools Awards 2024 for Dynamic Performing Arts (Prep School)! It’s a wonderful recognition of the amazing work our Prep School do to support such excellence and achievement in the Performing Arts. This Award follows on from the Prep School’s exceptional June production of The Addams Family. Thank you, Muddy!To learn more about our Prep School, click here.

25 Jun 2024

Florence awarded Bulkeley-Evans Scholarship

Many congratulations to Florence (Upper Sixth) on her receipt of HMC’s Bulkeley-Evans Scholarship. The Scholarship will enable Florence to spend a gap year in Sierra Leone, about which she will come back to talk to our Sixth Form and write a report for HMC. Mrs Rowley, Head of Sixth Form, comments, “I’m thrilled that Florence has been successful in her application to the Bulkeley-Evans HMC Scholarship fund. These grants are highly sought after and recipients of the awards report on...

25 Jun 2024

STEER implementation

We have become national pioneers of the proactive pastoral tracking programme STEER! STEER is a 15 minute assessment taken by pupils three times a year, which analyses patterns and trends in their mental health. A recent Lancet report on STEER stated that the benefits of such a tool allow educators to anticipate mental health risks earlier and enable institutions to obtain data on the impact of their school culture on social-emotional development. Find out more about STEER here.Learn more about...

21 Jun 2024

Cricket Week

We were delighted to once again host our annual Cricket Week from Monday 10th to Sunday 16th June. One of the most popular weeks in our calendar saw teams travel from far and wide to Cedars Field, Tor Field and Bekynton to compete across the seven days.On Monday we were privileged to host the MCC. True to tradition, the visitors batted first and as the sun shone, our bowlers restricted them to just 2.5 runs an over for the first...

18 Jun 2024

OW to compete in Paris Olympics

Huge congratulations to OW Annie Campbell-Orde (2014) who is heading to Paris as one of the Team GB rowers! Annie will be competing in the Women’s Eight event; if you’d like to tune in, you can view a schedule of the rowing events here. We can’t wait to see how she gets on and wish her the very best of luck!To learn more about Sport at Wells, click here.

18 Jun 2024

Finley captains Gloucestershire CCC U14s

We are delighted that Finley (Year 9) has been appointed as Captain of the Gloucestershire CCC U14s this summer. We have no doubt that Finley thoroughly deserves this opportunity given his brilliant performances at School throughout the Whitsun Term!To learn more about Sport at Wells, click here.

18 Jun 2024

U15 Boys’ Cricket Devon tour

Our U15 Boys had a brilliant time touring North Devon during the half Term break. Travelling down on the first day, the squad stopped to play West Buckland School. Everyone contributed to a convincing win; very good innings from Ethan (Year 10) and Zak (Year 9) saw Wells chase down 110 comfortably. Rewarded with a lovely evening meal, everyone settled in for the night at the accommodation. The following day, the boys took part in various activities including a water...

18 Jun 2024

To space and back… in a day!

On Thursday 6th June, pupils in Year 5 were treated to a workshop run by Jo from Space Detectives. They explored the universe and planets by participating in the Destination Mars workshop, considering the challenges and implications of living on Mars.The morning began with a virtual tour of space wherein pupils were transported into an amazing technologically advanced “Space World” and were awed by moments of discovery and learning as they journeyed into space through the use of VR headsets. Whilst...

Prep Humanities Week WCS Wells Cathedral Independent School Somerset England

24 May 2024

Prep School Humanities Week

The first ever Prep School ‘Humanities Week’, held in the final week of the Whitsun Term, started with a fantastic virtual visit from Amie the Archaeologist. Pupils had pre-prepared some excellent questions to ask Amie about archaeology and she was able to give lots of brilliant information about this fascinating career. Highlights of the session included seeing real archaeological artefacts and learning about LIDAR technology which is used to identify possible dig sites.Led by Reverend Tom Handy, pupils in Years...

20 May 2024

Sound of Wells Festival

It has been brilliant for School musicians to be so strongly involved with the Cathedral-led Sound of Wells Festival. In a week featuring over a dozen fabulous musical events it was wonderful to hear a Choral Evensong which combined fabulous tradition with such fresh music featuring our GMA Megan Glover playing saxophone alongside the Cathedral organ. The anthem for the evening was composed for the choir and saxophone by Eva (Upper Sixth) and the whole service was outstanding. More School...

20 May 2024

St John Passion

On Saturday 11th May, the Cathedral Choir, with stellar soloists Kieran White OW (2008) (Evangelist) and Neal Davies (Christus), accompanied by baroque ensemble Réjouissance, gave an absolutely outstanding performance of J.S. Bach’s 1724 ‘St John Passion’ in its 300th anniversary year. Head and Deputy Head Choristers Petra and Estella (Year 9) brilliantly delivered the two soprano arias Ich folge dir and Zerfließe, mein Herze with masterful control and character. William Drakett and Alex Jenkins, both Vicars Choral and Wells staff...

20 May 2024

University of Southampton Maths Challenge

Each year over 1000 pupils enter the University of Southampton Mathematics Challenge in which pupils work on a series of problems in their own time, having to produce full written solutions to each problem without guidance from their teachers. The amount of time pupils need to spend on this is significant and should not be underestimated! This year the theme for the problems was Zodiac signs. We are pleased to share that in the Senior Challenge, Lucille (Year 10) was...

20 May 2024

Senior School Dance team’s competition success

On Sunday 12th May, our Senior School Dance team showcased their talent at a national Dance competition in Bath, hosted by the Aaron Dwyer Company. Performing five routines before a panel of esteemed dance professionals, they danced against numerous schools from across the South West.Following a day filled with competition, our team returned triumphant. They clinched three first place titles, a second, and a third, along with securing two workshop wins that earned them scholarship placements. Additionally, our duet performance...

10 May 2024

His Majesty King Charles III retains Patronage of Wells Cathedral School

We are delighted that His Majesty King Charles III will remain the Patron of Wells Cathedral School.The King made this announcement following a major review of more than 1,000 royal patronages and charity presidencies. Buckingham Palace undertook the review following the King’s accession in September 2022. Although he has had to relinquish hundreds of charities and organisations, Buckingham Palace said that King Charles III has retained patronages that highlight causes supporting communities, conservation and culture among others.Alastair Tighe, Head Master...

10 May 2024

CCF Navy cadets set sail

May marked the maiden voyage of our six-week course for the CCF Navy section, and what a glorious start it was! With eleven enthusiastic pupils on board, the tranquil waters of Cheddar Reservoir provided the perfect backdrop for learning and adventure. Our sailors honed their skills in rigging the boats and even enjoyed the thrill of recovering from being capsized. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity for personal growth, but also to develop camaraderie among our pupils. Here’s to...

10 May 2024

West Panthers U13 selections

We are thrilled that seven of our pupils have been selected for the West Panthers U13 squads to play at the UK Festival of Hockey in July. The successful group trialled over four sessions of 80 girls and 80 boys in competition for the 32 available places per gender. Congratulations to Year 8 pupils Amelie-Rose, Olivia, Elspeth, Josef, William, Kieran and Thomas who will represent the West of England against other regions in Nottingham later this year.To learn more about...

10 May 2024

Woodwind and Brass trip to Berlin

Our Woodwind and Brass Quintets have just returned from a highly successful trip to Berlin where they collaborated with pupils from the Musikgynasium CPE Bach, one of our fellow specialist music schools belonging to the ‘Young Music Talents in Europe’ organisation. Our pupils performed music by Barber, Bach and Horovitz before joining forces with their hosts to form two large ensembles performing music by Gounod, Brahms and Stephen Foster. Following two days of rehearsals, the concert was a huge success...

29 Apr 2024

Two Moors Festival

We are delighted to share that three Wells pupils are winners of the 2024 Two Moors Festival: a Year 5 pianist, Year 10 violinist Alexander and Year 11 flautist Natalie. The Two Moors Festival is open to classically trained strings, brass or woodwind players, pianists and singers aged 18 or under, living or educated in South West England and working at a level of grade 7 or above. As winners, they will be invited to masterclasses in the summer and...

29 Apr 2024

Geography and Classics trip to Italy

Ferdy (Year 10) wrote the following account of the Geography and Classics trip to Italy:The Geography and Classics trip to Italy was something we were all looking forward to in the months leading up to our departure. Despite travelling through the late night and early morning, we were all ready for the first day in Pozzuoli, in which we got to see the Temple of Serapis and sample some of the area’s food. As we had hoped, authentic Italian pizza...

10 Apr 2024

Royal Navy cadets visit HMS Raleigh

In March, 19 Royal Navy cadets visited HMS Raleigh in Torpoint to take part in the Damage Repair Instruction Unit (DRIU) and Fire-Fighting demonstration. The cadets learnt the techniques used by the Royal Navy to fix any damage to a ship following a missile attack to prevent the ship from sinking. They had to work fast in dark, smoky and very wet conditions! Following this, they were instructed how to put out a number of different types of fire that...

09 Apr 2024

Tilly selected to represent Hockey Wales

We are thrilled to share that Tilly (Year 11) has successfully trialled to represent Wales in their U18 Hockey team. Furthermore, she was selected as one of the 20 players competing in a series against Canada which resulted in a draw. U18 selection is a fantastic achievement considering she is only sixteen years old and Mr Mayes, Head of Hockey, is really looking forward to seeing her progress in international Hockey!To learn more about Sport at Wells, click here.

08 Apr 2024

Symphony Orchestra concert

The pairing of Mozart’s Requiem with highlights from Tchaikovsky’s ballet scores allowed Wells to demonstrate what makes it so special: Music on a grand scale, performed by large and excellent forces. In the first half the Symphony Orchestra, in full glorious force, performed some of the most famous tunes ever composed, expertly compèred by members of the orchestra. The wind solos weaved through the textures beautifully, the sugar plum fairy danced expressively and the string section sounded warm, round and...

30 Mar 2024

Wells named home to one of the 10 most picturesque cricket grounds in Britain

Wells Cathedral School has been named home to one of the 10 most picturesque cricket grounds in Britain.The list, compiled by Chief Cricket Writer Scyld Berry, was published in The Telegraph on Tuesday 26th March.The School’s Estates team take great pride in ensuring the Wells ground is maintained at a high standard and even visited Lord’s Cricket Ground, also known as the Home of Cricket, to learn about groundskeeping techniques from the Head Groundsman.Tom Webley, the School’s Director of Sport...

28 Mar 2024

Choristers work with OW Hollywood composer

On Wednesday 27th March, the Choristers recorded the soundtrack for a new video game with music composed by OW David Buckley (1994). As the rest of the School breaks for Easter, the Choristers remain, singing the Holy Week and Easter services in the Cathedral. We thank them for their hard work and dedication!To view more pictures, click here.To learn more about Choristership at Wells, click here.

25 Mar 2024

An evening of TED-Talks

At March’s TED-Talk event, our Lower Sixth speakers delved into a wide array of thought-provoking topics, offering unique insights and perspectives.Magdalena discussed “The Variety of Friendship,” exploring the multifaceted nature of human connections and the importance of diverse relationships in our lives. Sam intrigued audiences with “Is Time Dilation the Key to Time Travel?” diving into the complex realm of physics and the possibility of time travel through the lens of time dilation. Oli & Charlie shared their experiences and...

25 Mar 2024

All the world’s a stage

A huge congratulations and massive well done to all the Years 7-9 cast of As You Like It and Romeo & Juliet for an outstanding week of performances. Audiences were blown away by the level of creativity, choreography, set, costumes and quality of their performances and storytelling, and many comments have been shared highlighting the level of professionalism, clarity, focus and talent. An array of different skills were displayed and performed to such a high standard: acting, dancing, singing, stage...

25 Mar 2024

Rambert acceptance for Alfie

After 16 months of intensive dance training, Alfie (Upper Sixth, photographed by Maple & Fleur Dance Photography) has received a place at the globally renowned Rambert School to train professionally in Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Alfie also received offers from esteemed institutions including the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Trinity Laban and The Place, all considered among the UK’s top-rated Dance schools. Alfie’s Dance journey began at Wells, where he started his Dance education under the guidance of Miss Cannon,...

The Bee Musical Pre-Prep WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

25 Mar 2024

Pre-Prep’s bee-autiful production

The Pre-Prep has been (literally!) buzzing as their latest production, The Bee Musical, flew onto the stage. Ritchie Hall has been a hive of activity while the children sang, danced and spread their wings, much to the delight of Prep School and parental audiences. There was certainly no bumbling as the children dazzled with their musical storytelling, and by the end no one doubted just how important it is to be a bee.To learn more about our Pre-Prep, click here.

22 Mar 2024

Musicians celebrate outstanding Music and Arts Festival results

Musicians across the Prep and Senior School are celebrating an extraordinary set of results from a number of Music and Arts Festivals.As ever, Wells had a high level of representation at the Mid-Somerset Festival, which was met with success in a multitude of classes.Particular congratulations must go to Teagan (Lower Sixth) on receipt of the Thelma King Instrumental Award and Harry (Lower Sixth) for the Premier Award Concerto Class for all instruments.On top of Harry’s major award, he was also...

15 Mar 2024

CCF Royal Navy Try-Dive

On Wednesday 13th March, 23 Navy cadets took part in a Try-Dive session in the School swimming pool. Two instructors from the Dive and Adventure Training team visited to deliver the dive sessions. The Try-Dive involved learning how to use the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) and manage their buoyancy under the water. It was fantastic to see all the cadets learning new skills and having fun playing some underwater games. Thank you to the lifeguards – Olly (Lower Sixth),...

11 Mar 2024

Alice Farnham conducting masterclass

Pupil conductors had the wonderful experience of working with Alice Farnham, professional conductor and the Artistic Director of Women Conductors, on Monday 26th February. Six pupils, along with a number of observers, worked with her as a group in the morning, and then one-to-one in the afternoon, on repertoire they have been preparing from Tchaikovsky ballet suites. Alice also worked with all the specialist musicians in an afternoon seminar, where she inspired our pupils, discussed the life and profession of...

11 Mar 2024

World Book Day

The Prep School were so excited for this year’s World Book Day that some pupils began preparing early! Year 4 used their creativity skills and motivation to complete an exciting homework challenge; they were given an ordinary wooden spoon and had to turn it into an ‘extraordinary’ book character. On the big day, children from the Nursery to Year 6 dressed up as a vast array of characters, and the staff got involved too! The day began with older pupils...

11 Mar 2024

Event on the Lawn

Head of School Dimity (Upper Sixth) wrote the following account, accompanied by photos taken by School Governor Andrew Gummer, of this year’s spectacular Event on the Lawn:It’s official – Event on the Lawn 2024 was a huge success! From the Prep School to the Sixth Form, thirty of Wells’ best singers and bands lit up the stage on Saturday night in front of hundreds of our mini-festival’s guests, all to raise funds for Wells’ partner schools in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Overall, between two stages and a silent disco...

08 Mar 2024

Mayor’s Concert

On Thursday 7th March, the School hosted the third annual ‘Mayor’s Concert’ aptly named ‘Rocking in Wells’. Rock and pop musicians from Wells Cathedral School, The Blue School and Strode College took part in a collaborative concert in aid of Mayor Tanys Pullin’s chosen charity Heads Up. The concert was a wonderful opportunity for our pop musicians to hear other young performers from around the area and everyone was wonderfully supportive of each other. It was lovely to see such...

A summary of our latest news View this email in your browser This Week in Wells 1st March 2024 Upper Sixth pupils Meg, Edvard and Théo performed a mixture of covers and original songs at this week’s Pop Lunchtime Concert in Cedars Hall. Our Latest News Years 7-9 Production rehearsals reach fever pitch The Years 7-9 Shakespeare Production Ensemble are in the final leg of rehearsals for Romeo & Juliet and As You Like It. Be sure to catch both shows to discover whether true love can survive in an ever-increasing world of hate, revenge and violence or whether love is merely a madness. With live music, contemporary dance and puns a plenty there's something for everyone! Book your tickets Sixth Form trip to Westminster WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

04 Mar 2024

Sixth Form trip to Westminster

On Monday 26th February, a select group of Lower and Upper Sixth Form pupils travelled to London to visit the Palace of Westminster and then the Supreme Court building.They were able to follow the route of the Sovereign during the State opening of Parliament and visit the floors of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords (and it is quite rare to be able to do both!). The pupils then took part in a workshop that followed...

Don't do it for us WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

04 Mar 2024

Théo releases single

Théo (Upper Sixth) has recently released his single, ‘Don’t do it for us’.Asked about the process behind his newest work, Théo explained, “Don’t do it for us is my third released song and I wrote it on the piano over a year ago. I have been producing it on Logic Pro X for a while whilst working on other projects and the song kept developing the better I got at producing, mixing and mastering. I have been composing and producing...

28 Feb 2024

Jazz & Strings tour to New York City

The Jazz and String Departments took part in an action-packed and inspirational tour to New York City which included masterclasses, workshops and concerts across Manhattan and Queens in February this year. Smalls Jazz Club was one of the group’s first stops. Smalls is one of the few remaining authentic clubs left in Greenwich Village that runs an open jam session. It is on every jazz musician’s list of ‘must visit’ venues when visiting NYC. Pupils nervously put themselves forward to...

26 Feb 2024

String Festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

At the end of an amazingly full and musically fulfilling Epiphany Term, a Wells String Quartet travelled to Glasgow to take part in the String Festival at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). Our musicians stepped straight off the bus and into an open rehearsal of the string orchestra version of Shostakovich’s iconic ‘8th String Quartet’. Our musicians stood next to string players from the Senior Conservatoire and the overall sound was terrific in the Stevenson Hall. The following days...

26 Feb 2024

Jess Gillam visit

Before half Term, pupils were treated to a two day residency with superstar saxophonist and BBC presenter Jess Gillam. Jess worked with pupils in an open workshop for all musicians and a masterclass for saxophonists. Jess was joined by her pianist Zeynep Özsuca and bassist Sam Becker who also gave masterclasses for our pupils. The three musicians also took part in a Q&A session where they shared some insightful thoughts about the music profession. The residency culminated in a gala...

26 Feb 2024

Delight at university and conservatoire offers

Pupils in the Upper Sixth have been thrilled to receive and confirm offers from universities and music colleges across the UK this winter. Given how increasingly competitive it is, we are delighted that once again a number of Wells pupils have been successful in their applications to Oxford and Cambridge and have received offers to study History, Music and Physics. In addition, pupils have so far received over 120 offers from other Russell Group and other top UK universities –...

26 Feb 2024

Safer Internet Day

On Tuesday 6th February, the Senior School marked Safer Internet Day during their tutor period through the theme of “Inspiring Change”. Mr Moore, Head of Computing, explained, “We have decided to look at the use of social media and how the use of social media can be addictive. We evaluated how this affects the teen brain and how the brain is stimulated by dopamine. We considered the advantages and the disadvantages of social media – it is not going to...

26 Feb 2024

Promenade Concerts

The annual Promenade Concerts are always highlights in the School’s musical calendar, and this year was no exception!Throughout the Brass and Percussion Promenade Concert, pupils performed solo and chamber music spanning eight centuries from all of the far-flung spaces of the beautifully lit Cathedral, including on natural trumpets and sackbuts! We were delighted to be joined by members of the String Department and guest artists John Kenny and Letty Stott, our own Head of Performance, who played ancient Roman brass...

26 Feb 2024

Bach Day

On Tuesday 6th February, we featured J.S. Bach in a day-long celebration of his music installed in the wonderful Gothic spaces of Wells Cathedral. Bach’s work is of fundamental technical and musical importance for all instrumentalists and singers at every stage of their development, and Wells pupils rose to the occasion magnificently.From 9.30am onwards, the Cathedral reverberated from the Nave to the Chapter House with over twelve hours of Bach performances that included a superb organ recital from Old Wellensian...

ALL NEWS

Download our App

Read our Latest 'In Touch'

News Filter