The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, Hereford
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school excels at creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils are proud to be themselves. Attendance has dramatically improved through consistent promotion of its importance, and disadvantaged pupils achieve particularly well compared to similar pupils nationally. The school offers excellent enrichment opportunities including sports clubs, visits, residential trips, and leadership roles that help pupils develop into well-rounded young adults.
Key Strengths
- Attendance has improved significantly and is now at national averages, with far fewer pupils having prolonged absences
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve better than their peers nationally
- Pupils are friendly, proud of their school, and benefit from positive staff-pupil relationships
- Comprehensive personal development programme with excellent enrichment activities
- Safeguarding culture is strong with clear procedures in place
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality varies between key stages, with key stage 3 weaker than key stage 4
- Teachers don't consistently identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or adapt teaching to address them
- Support for pupils with special educational needs is inconsistent, especially in younger year groups
- Early literacy and numeracy support programme is underdeveloped
- Communication about recent school changes needs improvement with some parents
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, visits to places of interest, residential trips including ski trip, Pupil Prefect Team, anti-bullying ambassador roles, broad range of clubs analysed to meet pupil interests
The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School has made significant improvements in attendance and has a broad, ambitious curriculum. However, there is inconsistency in teaching quality between year groups, and support for pupils with special educational needs needs to be more consistent.
At a Glance
15.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, VI - Visual Impairment, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
43
Total classes
5 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
1,089 pupils
1,130 capacity
41 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Hereford
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Hereford
Admissions Demand - Herefordshire, County of
Places available
1,919
Applications
1,763
Got 1st preference
92.5%
Got preferred school
98.5%
Secondary admissions across Herefordshire, County of (2025/26)
Inspection History(15)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.62744%
Overall absence
24.8%
Persistent absence
1,125
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School
St Paul's CofE Primary School
Hampton Dene Primary School
Broadlands Primary School
St James' Church of England Primary School
St Francis Xavier's Primary School
St Thomas Cantilupe CofE Academy
Lord Scudamore Primary Academy
St Martin's Primary School
Lugwardine Primary Academy
Holmer CofE Academy
Nearby Schools
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