Chew Valley School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils and students at Chew Valley School are happy and enjoy their learning. Staff know them as individuals and there are warm relationships. Staff provide effective support with learning or wellbeing challenges. As a result, pupils feel cared for. The house system brings a strong sense of belonging and community. There are friendly competitions and fun events to take part in. Friendships span year groups, and older pupils provide advice and guidance to younger ones in the mixed-age tutor groups. Pupils feel safe. Bullying is rare, but when it does happen it is dealt with quickly. Teaching is effective generally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing other barriers, get the help they need. For pupils who find the main part of the school overwhelming at social times, there are a variety of activities in the learning support base, including yoga, crafting and an outdoor education space. Pupils achieve at least as well as others nationally. Students in the post-16 provision achieve particularly well over time, often achieving above their peers nationally. However, some pupils do not attend well. This means they do not get the teaching or experiences that their peers do. The array of experiences as part of the 'Chew Valley Guarantee' gives all pupils and students the opportunity to thrive. There are clubs that bring subjects to life, such as the foreign language film club, writing clubs or science challenges. There are visits to Lulworth Cove for geography, and to art galleries or universities. International trips include European foreign language exchanges, residential art trips and battlefield trips for history. Pupils are encouraged to develop their own talents and interests. There are many 'change and create' clubs, such as reptile handling, gardening and robotics. In addition, pupils appreciate the numerous physical education clubs, including traditional sports as well as climbing, taekwondo and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff adapt their teaching more consistently to meet pupils' needs and use formative assessment effectively to check when pupils are ready to move on with their learning.
• Leaders should strengthen their analysis of attendance and persistent absence so that they are able to accurately identify patterns and take appropriate action to ensure more pupils attend school regularly.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)