Downside SchoolWells Cathedral School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Downside School and Wells Cathedral School.
Neither school has a composite score. Our score needs published attainment data, which is not available for every school or every nation.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 30.8 for Downside School and 28.2 for Wells Cathedral School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Downside School (35.9 in 2021-22, 30.8 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Wells Cathedral School (32.3 in 2021-22, 28.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | RadstockDownside School | WellsWells Cathedral School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | Not scored | Not scored | |
| Local ranking | Not ranked | Not ranked | |
| Inspection | Independent School | Independent School | |
| School type | Other independent school | Other independent school | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 2-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 249 | 670 | |
| Capacity | 420 | 800 | |
| Location | Radstock, BA3 4RJ | Wells, BA5 2ST | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 30.8 Stronger figure | 28.2 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 0.0% | 0.0% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 0.0% | 0.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 43 | 86 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 43 | 88 | |
| A-level average points | 33.8 | 38.1 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 34.6 | 38.4 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 20.6% Stronger figure | 16.9% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 273 | 734 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| SEN support | 35.5% | 31.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.0% | 0.5% | |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
A-level average points
Pupils on roll
Full profiles: Downside School · Wells Cathedral School