Beechen Cliff School

Beechen Cliff School is performing well overall, demonstrating a strong commitment to providing quality education and supportive learning environment. Key strengths include the ambitious curriculum, respectful culture, and extensive extracurricular activities that engage pupils. The school is committed to developing students' emotional literacy and confidence, helping them transition effectively into adulthood and prepare for higher education. It is noteworthy that this is the school's first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, and it has shown significant improvements in various areas since joining The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership.

Strengths

• Ambitious and demanding curriculum across subjects
• Strong focus on respect, equality, and diversity
• Effective support for pupils needing extra help with literacy and numeracy
• Wide range of extracurricular activities
• High level of pupil participation in clubs and challenges
• Robust careers programme promoting future opportunities
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils with SEND struggle to follow the curriculum
• Inconsistent teaching support for pupils with additional needs

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Beechen Cliff School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.1% of pupils at Beechen Cliff School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Beechen Cliff School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.0% of pupils at Beechen Cliff School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Beechen Cliff School received £8,044 and spent £7,862 for each of its 1,224 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £558,000 (£456 per pupil).

Across all 41 schools of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, income was £8,730 and spending £8,608 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bath · Bath and North East Somerset local authority: places and applications

Beechen Cliff School is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Hayesfield Girls School Bath
• St Mark's CofE School Bath
• St Julian's Church School Bath
• Peasedown St John Primary School Bath
• Shoscombe Church School Bath
• St Mary's CofE Primary School Bath
• Trinity Church School Bath
• Hemington Primary School Radstock
• Writhlington School Radstock
• Somerset Studio School Radstock

What is Beechen Cliff School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beechen Cliff School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Beechen Cliff School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beechen Cliff School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Beechen Cliff School have?

Beechen Cliff School has 1,232 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beechen Cliff School cover?

Beechen Cliff School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Beechen Cliff School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.4, and 70% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Beechen Cliff School?

Beechen Cliff School is at Kipling Avenue, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4RE.