Wessex Lodge School, Frome
Wessex Lodge School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Frome.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Wessex Lodge School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Wessex Lodge School are Critchill Special School (0.5 miles, Good); Fromefield Manor School (0.6 miles, Good); North Hill House (0.7 miles, Inadequate); and Newbury Manor School (4.7 miles, Good).
Critchill Special SchoolFromefield Manor SchoolNorth Hill HouseNewbury Manor School
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wessex Lodge School (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 56% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (88%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (56%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Wessex Lodge School has an education, health and care plan (77 of 77 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Frome Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Spring Cottage (sw-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wessex Lodge School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 180 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Wessex Lodge School excels at transforming the lives of vulnerable young people who have struggled in other settings. With warm staff-pupil relationships at its core and a strong focus on building confidence and self-esteem, the school helps pupils re-engage in learning and develop exceptional behaviour and leadership skills. Parents report the school 'has transformed our lives', and pupils leave well-prepared for their next steps into education or employment.
Key Strengths
- Exemplary pupil behaviour with high levels of respect and kindness towards one another
- Strong focus on reading with targeted support helping pupils catch up speedily
- Therapeutic provision including equine, horticulture and farm activities that significantly impact behaviour
- Personalised careers advice and support ensuring pupils successfully transition to college or employment
- Wide range of enrichment activities and community responsibilities developing leadership and citizenship skills
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, curriculum is not implemented as effectively as it should be, with pupils' learning not always moving on quickly enough
- Misconceptions are not consistently identified and resolved in all areas
- The school should strengthen implementation of its current plans to improve these subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Ark gardening club, equine therapy, horticulture, farm activities, climbing, mountain biking, theatre visits, museum visits, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, careers ambassador roles, inclusion and diversity committee, community service including food bank contributions and litter picking
Wessex Lodge School is a specialist independent school providing trauma-informed education for pupils with social, emotional, mental health and behavioural needs. The school provides a calm and nurturing environment where pupils from multiple unsuccessful placements thrive and re-engage in their learning.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Wessex Lodge School
Summer Fayre 26
9 Jul 2026
You are invited to our Parent Cafe’s!
26 Feb 2026
Expression Through Art
9 Feb 2026
Workshops
31 Mar 2025
Residential 2024 Devon
8 Jul 2024
From Wessex Lodge School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Wessex Lodge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
77 pupils
90 places
13 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Frome
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Frome
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
77
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Wessex Lodge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
77
Total Pupils
57
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Wessex Lodge School
Questions parents ask about Wessex Lodge School
What are GCSE results like at Wessex Lodge School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Wessex Lodge School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
How many pupils go to Wessex Lodge School?
Wessex Lodge School has around 77 pupils on roll.
Does Wessex Lodge School have specialist SEN provision?
Wessex Lodge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Wessex Lodge School?
Wessex Lodge School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Wessex Lodge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Wessex Lodge School?
Wessex Lodge School is at Nunney Road, Frome, Frome, Somerset, BA11 4LA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)