The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, Hereford

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School on 6 areas: 3 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils' attainment in examinations has improved over the last two years."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance at the school is a success story."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school has designed a comprehensive personal development programme."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders generally have an accurate view of the quality of teaching across the school."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The school identifies pupils who may need extra help well."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "New leaders have brought about some key improvements in the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "The school should ensure that all staff have the expertise to support pupils in lessons to overcome their barriers to learning, especially pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers accurately identify what pupils have learned and what gaps in knowledge exist, so that teachers routinely adapt their teaching to meet the different needs of pupils"; "Leaders, including governors, should make sure that all actions to improve the school are evaluated robustly in terms of the impact on pupils, based on accurate and helpful information"; "The school should improve its communication with parents so that all parents understand the reasons and implications of changes that are made to processes or expectations".

From the headteacher's welcome: "As the Headteacher of The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School I am privileged and honoured to be entrusted with the leadership of this distinguished institution and to work with dedicated students, staff, parents/carers, and governors. The school has a long and proud history, built upon a foundation of strong values and excellence."

In 2026, pupils at The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.3 in Herefordshire, County of; and 47 across England.

45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Herefordshire, County of; and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 45.9.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.17: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 40.3, against 47.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 189 families put The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School as their first choice and 386 named it as one of their preferences, for 215 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School are Aylestone School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.7); St Mary's RC High School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 53.2); The Hereford Church of England Academy (2.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.5); and Whitecross Hereford (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.1).

The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

257 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School (as of April 2026): 70% would recommend the school, 65% say their child is happy there and 39% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (73%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (39%).

Of the 193 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

15.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 8 places, 8 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Hereford Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bishops School (adjacent), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 75 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Herefordshire, County of (4), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School issued 76 suspensions, 7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School are St Paul's CofE Primary School (0.1 miles), Hampton Dene Primary School (0.2 miles), Broadlands Primary School (0.7 miles) and St James' Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.