RELOCATING TO WELLS, SOMERSET
Our son loves the school and we are very pleased with our decision. He always goes into school with a spring in his step and is very happy when I pick him up, giving most days 10/10 (he loves the food too!)
– Current Parent
Why Wells?
Relocating to a new area can be a challenging experience and then having to find a school for your child can seem overwhelming. We have extensive experience in helping families relocate to Somerset and the South West and understand that choosing the right school for your child takes time.
Perks of Moving to Somerset
Moving to the South West is a great balance between rural and city life. With dramatic coastlines, golden beaches, beautiful countryside and vibrant cities, we have it all! The Mendips, Cheddar Gorge and Somerset Levels are on our doorstep for you to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle with long walks and plenty of outdoor activities. The cities of Bath and Bristol are within an hours drive away and if you enjoy holidays in Devon and Cornwall, they are only 1-2.5 hours drive away. Moving to Somerset and being located in Wells allow for our pupils to enjoy the best of both worlds in a safe everyday environment.
We hope the following information about moving to the West Country will be useful.
About Wells Cathedral School
We are a family-orientated co-educational boarding and day school for 2-18 year olds located in Wells, Somerset. We provide an all-round education alongside world-class Specialist Music and Chorister training. Our vision is to inspire every individual pupil to nurture their talents in a vibrant, creative, spiritual and stimulating environment to become a responsible global citizen.
Our school has been in Wells and inspiring pupils for 1,111 years and our aim remains loyal to our Latin motto ‘Esto Quod Es’ (Be What You Are’). Our school focus is to develop an all-round character and talent in a safe, beautiful and stimulating environment.
“Pastoral care was voted outstanding by all we spoke to”
– Good Schools Guide, 2020
Reviews of Wells Cathedral School
We relocated to Somerset from Fulham as we wanted a better standard of education for our son Alexander which embraced other aspects of school life, in a beautiful setting, with a more creative leaning. We were blown away by the open day, at the children’s performances in Cedars and Alastair’s speech where he talked about the importance of creativity and being surrounded by that vibe. We felt the secondary day school options in London were a bit ‘one size fits all’ and we didn’t want Alexander to be shoehorned into one of about three that his school recommended. We also moved because I had been in London for 25 years, and we were ready for the next chapter.
– Current parent on moving to Somerset from London
There are all the facilities you’d expect from a major public school, but it’s the quality of its historic and contemporary infrastructure that causes the jaw to drop. With its roots inextricably linked to one of the world’s finest Gothic cathedrals, the school’s campus lazily stretches over the city, occupying Grade 1 listed buildings (medieval to Georgian) as well as small, once residential, little cottages. There’s more than a whiff of Hogwarts here, but without the turrets.
– Muddy Stilettos
Independent School of the Year 2020 Winner for Performing Arts
Wells secured the title for “really living their philosophy of ‘Be what you can be’ [sic] through their elite and general programmes.”
Life in Wells, Somerset
“Don’t believe the tourist hype — Wells isn’t the smallest city in the UK, despite its titchy 12,000 population (St Davids, St Asaph and the City of London are tinier). It is, however, almost certainly the most beautiful, thanks to a medieval centre with a glorious 13th-century cathedral, a moated Bishop’s Palace (where you’ll find the springs that gave the city its name) and gardens galore. All around it are the Somerset Levels and the Mendip Hills, forming an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wells has a lively shopping scene, including a twice-weekly market, and it doesn’t let Glastonbury, six miles southwest, have the monopoly on festivals — there are music, art and food fests each year.” – Best Places to Live in the South West, The Sunday Times, 2020
We are fortunate to be located in the heart of the medieval, cathedral city of Wells, but also be surrounded by wonderful countryside where our children can enjoy fresh air, green fields, open spaces and freedom in a safe environment. We are privileged to have Wells Cathedral on our doorstep as a venue for our weekly assemblies with the Head Master. The Choristers (who are our day or boarding pupils) of Wells Cathedral are an integral part of our school – in fact, they are the very reason we were founded in AD909.
Wells is a vibrant city and although it may be small, there is certainly always something going on! There are twice weekly markets which are very popular with locals as well as tourists. Wells also has its fair share of festivals throughout the year and these include: Wells Festival of Literature, Wells Food Festival, Wells Comedy Festival, Contemporary Art Week and Wells Film Festival.
For theatre and music productions there is, of course, our very own state-of-the-art performing centre, Cedars Hall which hosts both school productions and concerts, as well as professional artists and is open all year round. Other nearby theatres include Strode Theatre in Street, The Octagon Theatre in Yeovil, The Brewhouse in Taunton, The Theatre Royal in Bath, and in Bristol, The Hippodrome and Bristol Beacon. Don’t forget the world’s most famous festival of all, Glastonbury, is only up the road! You may be eligible for local and Sunday tickets if you live nearby.
Find out more
These following websites will help you find out more about Wells and its surrounding areas:
Convenient Location
Trains
Direct trains run to London from Castle Cary (1hr 40mins), Bristol Temple Meads (1hr 40mins), Bath Spa (1hr 25mins) and Westbury (1hr 20mins). Trains also run from Frome (1hr 20mins) with one stop.
Coaches
Berry’s Coaches has a cheap, super fast, daily service direct to London Hammersmith from Shepton Mallet, Street, Glastonbury, Yeovil and Frome.
Motorways and major roads
- M4 – the busiest motorway from London to South Wales via Bristol and Bath
- A303 – connects the South East to the South West
- M5 – runs from West Midlands through to Exeter
School Bus Route
We provide a daily school bus service exclusively for use by Wells Cathedral School pupils. Please see map. We will consider adding additional routes further afield e.g. Trowbridge, Warminster and Weston-Super-Mare, if there is sufficient demand, so please ask our admissions team if you are moving to an area which isn’t on the route map. Families with two children receive a 25% discount and if you have three or more children you will receive a 50% discount.
Cost per day (both ways) from £6.25 to £8.35 depending on location. We also provide flexi pickups. Please see our booklet here for details.
Property in Wells
Wells and its surrounding areas have a broad range of properties to rent and purchase ranging from old farmhouses, cottages, converted barns to brand new developments.
If you choose to live in Wells you may be able to walk to school. However, other areas around Wells to consider would be East and West Horrington, North Wootton, Coxley, Wedmore, Priddy, Easton, Westbury sub Mendip, Croscombe, Dinder, Dulcote, West Pennard, Wookey and the Chew Valley.
Local Estate Agents
Personal Property Search Consultancy
If you would like to use the services of a personal property search consultant, please contact Amanda Ake at Stacks Property Search. Amanda has extensive experience in finding properties in the area and has three children who have all been to Wells Cathedral School (two are now at University and one is in year 11), so she knows the area and the school very well.
[email protected] / 07974 809 624
Meet our Admissions Team
Our friendly admissions team are always available with any questions you may have and can be contacted on 01749 834 441 or [email protected]. Although we have three open days each year (October, March and May), we are always open to meet families at any time during the year.
Next Steps
If you want to know more about our beautiful part of the world or what our School in Wells, Somerset can offer your family, please do contact our Admissions team. They would be happy to answer any questions, send you more information, arrange a virtual visit or chat or book a visit in person (subject to Covid restrictions).
Please note that by filling in the form, you will automatically be redirected to our Virtual Visit page, where you can find information about the different stages of our School (Pre-Prep, Prep School and Senior School).