secondary results put Bath’s state schools ahead of 89% of towns in England; primary results, of 29%
At Bath’s secondaries, 60% of pupils reach grade 5 in both English and maths, above both Somerset’s towns (41%) and towns in England (45%). 30 state-funded schools are located in Bath’s built-up area. Bath grades B for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #16 of 49 in Somerset. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Bath’s secondary results beat 89% of English towns; its primary results beat 29%. 57% of the large town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 62% across Bath and North East Somerset. The spread between primaries is wide: 75% at St Stephens Church School, 18% at St Michaels Junior Church School. Every school’s result ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Bath grades B for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (57% meet the standard)Better than 29% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (53.6 and 60%)Better than 89% of towns in England
The secondary figure lifts Bath; the primary figure holds it back.
Each of Bath’s 16 primaries: % meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (2023–25)
Each of Bath’s 6 secondaries: Attainment 8 (2025/26)
England’s average schoolBath and North East Somerset’s average school
The primary figure: 17 primaries in the town, 2,308 pupils in results over three years. The secondary figure: 6 secondaries in the town, 1,053 pupils in results. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Bath’s 30 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Bath’s built-up area.
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 6 secondaries are named.
Results and intake
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
Primaries: KS2 reading, writing and maths against free school meals
Secondaries: Attainment 8 against free school meals
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 6% at St Stephens Church School to 69% at St Michaels Junior Church School. Against schools with the same intake, St Philip's CofE Primary School does best: 74% with 15% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 65%. 4 of 16 primaries and 4 of 6 secondaries are above the line.
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
Getting a place
How school places work in Bath
Bath and North East Somerset Council handles applications for every state school in Bath, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 14 of Bath’s 28 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 9 schools are at or over it.
Beechen Cliff117%
St Andrew's Church incl. nursery110%
Ralph Allen108%
Hayesfield Girls105%
Oldfield Park Junior105%
St John's103%
Widcombe101%
Widcombe Infant101%
Combe Down100%
St Philip's99%
Show all 28 schools
Oldfield Park Infant99%
Moorlands Infant98%
Oldfield98%
Bathwick St Mary Church97%
Newbridge96%
Saint Gregory's96%
Moorlands Junior95%
St Mary's88%
St Stephens Church86%
Twerton Infant incl. nursery83%
Mulberry Park Educate Together82%
Weston All Saints66%
St Saviours Infant Church incl. nursery64%
St Martin's Garden incl. nursery64%
St Saviours Junior Church63%
St Michaels Junior Church60%
Roundhill incl. nursery52%
St Mark's50%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
30 state schools in Bath
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Bath’s schoolsA6B8C6D37 without a letter
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Good 15Report card 5Ungraded inspection only 10
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 5 of Bath’s 30 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
Run by
Schools
Pupils
Their letters
Palladian Academy TrustRalph Allen, Combe Down, St Philip's, Oldfield Park Junior, Widcombe, St Martin's Garden, Widcombe Infant, Oldfield Park Infant
8
3,152
AB−A−B+A−D−
Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies TrustSt Stephens Church, St Andrew's Church, Bathwick St Mary Church, St Saviours Junior Church, St Michaels Junior Church, St Saviours Infant Church
6
1,220
A−C−BCD−
Partnership TrustWeston All Saints, Moorlands Junior, Roundhill, Moorlands Infant
4
1,048
C−C−D−
Midsomer Norton Schools PartnershipHayesfield Girls, Beechen Cliff, St Mark's
3
2,988
AAB−
Dunstan Catholic Educational TrustSt John's, St Mary's
2
509
BC+
Oldfield SchoolOldfield
1
1,287
B
Three Ways SchoolThree Ways
1
258
—
Educate Together Academy TrustMulberry Park Educate Together
1
172
C−
North Star Academy TrustNorth Star 180°
1
105
—
Bath and North East Somerset CouncilSaint Gregory's, Newbridge, Twerton Infant
3
1,542
BB−
After 16
Where Bath’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
5 of Bath’s 6 state secondaries have sixth forms: Beechen Cliff, Hayesfield Girls, Oldfield, Ralph Allen and Saint Gregory's. Bath College, a further-education college, is in the large town.
City of Bristol CollegeFurther-education college · BS1 5UA
11.2 mi
North Bristol Post 16 CentreSixth-form college · BS6 6BU
11.4 mi
Special needs
Special schools and alternative provision in Bath
Bath has 2 special schools (North Star 180° and Three Ways: 363 pupils). A special-school place isn’t applied for like a mainstream one: for a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Bath and North East Somerset Council names the school in the plan, after asking the family’s preference. These schools have no letter, because their results don’t compare with mainstream schools’. Their cards ↑
Bath and North East Somerset Council’s SEND Local Offer lists support beyond these schools.
Towns its size
25th of 79 English towns and cities of 66,000 to 127,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns and cities either side of Bath, and the top and bottom of the group.
Bathampton has the best-graded schools nearby (A). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
•
Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
•
Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Bath: 8% (England’s average school: 8%).
•
Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
•
Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
•
Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
•
Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
•
Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
•
Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Bath
Are schools in Bath good?
Bath’s state schools earn a B against schools across England: primary results beat 29% of towns in England; secondary results beat 89% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Bath and North East Somerset council.
What is the best secondary school in Bath?
On 2025/26 GCSE results, Hayesfield Girls School: Attainment 8 of 59.9 and 67% with grade 5+ in English and maths, against 47.3 at the average school in England. Results are one measure; distance decides most places.
What is the best primary school in Bath?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, St Stephens Church School: 75% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Bath secondary schools have sixth forms?
5 of 6 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Bath?
Through Bath and North East Somerset Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Bath are full?
9 of 28 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Bath?
30 open state-funded schools are located in Bath’s built-up area: 22 primary, 6 secondary and 2 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
