Court Fields School Review 2026: A community secondary focused on belonging, behaviour, and next steps

A school can feel defined by its turning points. Here, the narrative is one of rebuilding confidence, tightening routines, and creating a clearer sense of identity for local families in Wellington. The values language, Achieve, Belong, Participate, is used consistently across school communications and aligns with the way leadership frames both culture and expectations.

The most recent full inspection (22 and 23 March 2023) judged the school Good across every headline area, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

As a state school, there are no tuition fees. The school serves students aged 11 to 16, with a published capacity of 860.

A clear theme in official descriptions is welcome and warmth, paired with firmer expectations about conduct and learning habits. The message is that students should feel safe and known, while also being expected to work hard and take part in wider school life.

Leadership is currently under Mrs Polly Matthews, who is listed as headteacher on the government’s Get Information About Schools service, and described by the trust as being appointed in 2022. A practical implication for parents is stability. A settled headship matters most in the unglamorous parts of school improvement, consistent routines, staff development, and follow-through on behaviour and attendance.

A distinctive cultural feature is the house system, relaunched in July 2022 with three houses: Blackdown, Duke, and Monument. That structure is used to organise competitions, identity, and leadership opportunities. For many students, this is the kind of simple architecture that makes a big difference to belonging. It gives a ready-made peer group beyond tutor time, and it gives quieter students a route into participation through house events rather than only through performance-heavy clubs.

The school also places visible weight on student leadership. Prefects, sports leaders, and mentoring roles are referenced as a normal part of school life, not just a badge for the highest attainers. That matters because leadership roles can be a confidence engine, especially in a mixed-ability comprehensive where not every student will be motivated by grades alone.

Court Fields School is ranked 3,080th in England and 2nd in Wellington for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). With an England percentile of 0.6706, this places outcomes below England average and within the lower 40% of schools in England.

The underlying attainment and progress picture is mixed. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 40.3, and the Progress 8 score is -0.26, which indicates students make below-average progress from their Key Stage 2 starting points compared with similar pupils across England. The average EBacc APS is 3.4. These figures are consistent with a school where the foundations of improvement are in place, but where academic acceleration still needs to become more consistent across subjects and groups.

There is one important nuance. Rankings and progress measures can move meaningfully when behaviour, curriculum sequencing, and attendance become more stable. The 2023 inspection narrative focuses strongly on rising expectations, improved behaviour routines, and a broader, more ambitious curriculum at Key Stage 3. For families, the implication is that the trend line can matter as much as the current headline, particularly for a younger child entering Year 7 who will experience the school after key structural changes have bedded in.

The strongest evidence points to deliberate curriculum planning, particularly in Key Stage 3. Subject leaders have mapped the knowledge students need to learn and have sequenced learning so it builds over time. That is the kind of detail that usually shows up later in better retention and fewer gaps, especially for students who arrive with weaker literacy or uneven primary experiences.

Key Stage 4 curriculum planning is described as less developed than Key Stage 3, with leaders working to develop curriculum beyond exam specifications. In practice, that tends to mean moving away from last-minute coverage and towards more deliberate revisiting of content, higher-quality extended writing, and stronger practice in examination technique.

Assessment is the other major theme. In most subjects, teachers check understanding, but in some subjects it is not precise enough to identify misconceptions. For parents, this is not a minor technical point. Precise assessment is what prevents a student from quietly falling behind for half a term before anyone realises. If your child needs tight feedback loops, for example in mathematics, languages, or science, this is a useful line of enquiry for an open evening conversation. Ask how teachers check learning in lessons, how misconceptions are spotted, and what happens next when a student is stuck.

Reading also receives explicit attention. Students who are at the early stages of learning to read are supported to catch up, and leaders prioritise reading for pleasure. In a secondary setting, this matters because literacy is the multiplier subject. Improvements in reading often underpin later improvements in history, geography, science, and even mathematics problem-solving.

Because the school finishes at 16, the key destination questions are about post-16 routes rather than university outcomes. The school positions careers education as a structured programme across year groups, with a focus on informed choices rather than last-minute applications.

There is strong evidence of practical preparation. Students receive support such as mock interviews, work experience, and engagement with local education and training providers. A careers plan for 2025 to 2026 also references a timetable of activities including Year 10 mock interviews, an aspiration and destination fair, and a work experience week (30 June to 4 July).

For many families, the implication is reassurance about Plan B and Plan C routes, not only the most academic sixth forms. The school’s stated approach references technical education pathways and apprenticeships engagement, consistent with the legal expectation that schools give providers access to students to explain training routes. If your child is undecided, or is more motivated by hands-on learning, this orientation can be a genuine advantage.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Somerset Council rather than directly through the school. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published closing date was 31 October 2025, with offers on National Offer Day, 2 March 2026.

Court Fields School operates published oversubscription criteria. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, priority is given to looked-after and previously looked-after children, then (in order) children on roll at named linked trust schools, catchment children with siblings at the school, children of qualifying staff, other catchment children, siblings outside catchment, then other children. When applications are tied within a category, the tie-break is straight-line distance from home to school, with random allocation used only where distances are equal.

A practical point for families is that catchment priority helps, but it is not a guarantee of admission. The right way to approach this is to understand the category your child is likely to sit within, then sanity-check distance and historic demand patterns through official mapping and the local authority’s published guidance. FindMySchool’s Map Search can help families check precise distances, then compare them with local patterns for similar schools.

Appeals timelines are also set out clearly. For the Year 7 normal round, the admission policy lists an appeal form deadline of 31 March 2026, and that appeals would be heard within 40 school days, by 17 June 2026.

In-year admissions are handled directly with the school using an in-year application form, and decisions are described as being communicated within 10 school days of receipt.

A school’s pastoral culture is best understood by asking, what does it do when things go wrong. The evidence here highlights a system built around vigilance and quick action, particularly in safeguarding. Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, describing a strong culture of vigilance and appropriate staff training, alongside swift action and work with external agencies when needed.

Personal development is also described in unusually concrete terms. Students follow a personal development curriculum called the Court Fields Experience, which includes consent, physical and mental health, online safety, and awareness of protected characteristics. One specific example is education around vaping that is reported to have led to a significant reduction in incidents. For parents, this signals a school that tries to respond to local realities rather than relying on generic assemblies.

Behaviour is described as improved, with raised expectations and staff applying the behaviour policy confidently. The remaining challenge is resilience for a minority of students who sometimes opt out of difficult tasks. Families with a child who is easily discouraged should explore how staff support persistence, what happens in lessons when a student refuses work, and how parents are brought into the loop.

The clearest picture of enrichment is a mix of traditional clubs, leadership pathways, and externally recognised programmes. Clubs and activities referenced in school materials include debating and public speaking, drama, photography, pottery, chess, choir, cooking, maths, science, and an Eco-Club. The implication is breadth rather than a single defining pillar. Students can find something that fits, even if they are not yet ready to commit to a high-visibility activity like a lead role in drama.

Some programmes signal a higher level of structured challenge. A school document references activities such as Go4Set STEM challenge participation and Rotary Youth Speaks for debating and public speaking. These types of programmes matter because they give students an external benchmark and a reason to practise skills that are otherwise hard to assess, teamwork, presenting, project planning, and scientific thinking.

There is also evidence of competitive participation and achievement. A summer magazine describes a Year 8 team placing third overall at a maths challenge hosted at Queen’s College, with the school noted as being among the few state schools attending. That is a useful signal for academically curious students who enjoy stretch, even in a setting where overall attainment measures are currently below England average.

Sport is positioned as an area of strength in facilities and participation. The school website references two large sports fields, tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, a refurbished gymnasium, a fitness studio, and a multi-purpose sports hall. If your child is motivated by physical activity, having that infrastructure can shape their whole relationship with school. It can also act as a behaviour stabiliser, giving students a positive outlet and a reason to maintain attendance and conduct.

Finally, enrichment is tied back to the core values language. This can be easy to dismiss as branding, but when values language becomes the organising principle for house points, leadership roles, and public celebration, it tends to feel more real to students.

The published school session times show a warning bell at 8.35am, registration and tutor time from 8.40am, and the end of the school day at 3.15pm.

Term dates are published on the school site, which is useful for planning childcare, holidays, and appointments around the academic calendar.

For travel, most families will plan around walking and cycling within Wellington, and bus or car routes for surrounding villages. Somerset Council publishes home-to-school transport guidance and eligibility rules, which is the right reference point for families considering travel beyond the immediate area.

• Academic progress remains a key watchpoint. The Progress 8 score of -0.26 indicates below-average progress compared with similar pupils across England. Families with a child who needs strong academic momentum should ask about intervention, tutoring support in school, and how subject gaps are identified early.

• Assessment precision is not yet consistent. In some subjects, checking understanding is not precise enough to identify misconceptions, which can leave students carrying gaps forward. This matters most for students who struggle quietly rather than disrupting lessons.

• Resilience and learning habits are still developing for a minority. The school recognises that some students sometimes opt out of challenge. Parents may want clarity on how staff handle refusal to work and how families are supported to reinforce routines at home.

• No sixth form. Every student transitions to a post-16 provider at 16, so families should engage early with careers guidance, open events, and application timelines.

Court Fields School is in the solid middle ground that many parents actively want: a state comprehensive with a clearer identity than it had historically, growing confidence in behaviour routines, and a tangible focus on personal development and next-step planning. The 2023 inspection evidence supports a picture of improved culture, strong safeguarding, and a curriculum that is being strengthened, particularly in Key Stage 3.

Who it suits: families looking for a local, mainstream secondary with a strong emphasis on belonging, structured personal development, and practical preparation for post-16 choices. Those prioritising the strongest academic outcomes should weigh current progress and attainment measures carefully, then use open events to judge whether teaching and assessment consistency feels secure for their child.