Best Schools in Bath

How many schools are there in Bath?

Bath has 55 open schools: 35 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 7 independent, 4 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bath are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Bath were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Swainswick Church School, Bathford Church School, Widcombe CofE Junior School and Farmborough Church Primary School. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 42 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Swainswick Church SchoolBathford Church SchoolWidcombe CofE Junior SchoolFarmborough Church Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bath get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Bath with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Hayesfield Girls School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.9 and 67% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Beechen Cliff School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.4 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ralph Allen School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.8 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Hayesfield Girls SchoolBeechen Cliff SchoolRalph Allen School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bath have the best SATs results?

Of the 27 primary schools in Bath with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Shoscombe Church School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Freshford Church School (96% in reading, 96% in maths); and Widcombe CofE Junior School (95% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Shoscombe Church SchoolFreshford Church SchoolWidcombe CofE Junior School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bath?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bath selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Bath?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bath and North East Somerset published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Freshford Church School, 1.843 miles for 2026 entry; Hayesfield Girls School, 4.308 miles for 2026 entry; Moorlands Infant School, 0.822 miles for 2026 entry; Newbridge Primary School, 0.787 miles for 2026 entry; Oldfield School, 4.62 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 15 schools in Bath; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Freshford Church SchoolHayesfield Girls SchoolMoorlands Infant SchoolNewbridge Primary SchoolOldfield School

Source: Bath and North East Somerset admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Bath?

Apply to your council - Bath and North East Somerset or Somerset, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.