Backwell School

About Backwell School

Backwell School is a Good-rated secondary in North Somerset, and the data shows it is a strong performer academically. Its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2020, rated the school Good across all five categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. An ungraded inspection in 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained. The single most informative exam metric is Progress 8, which measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and GCSEs. Backwell’s Progress 8 score is 0.21, which is above the national average and well above the North Somerset local authority average of -0.04. That places the school third out of ten secondary schools in the local authority, and in the top third nationally. In other words, pupils here typically make more progress than their peers in similar schools across the country.

Looking more closely at the exam results, Backwell’s Attainment 8 score is 53.4, meaning the average pupil achieves just over a grade 5 per subject. The basics measure, which tracks pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, stands at 56.8 per cent. The school also has a strong EBacc entry rate of 77.4 per cent, with 34.6 per cent of pupils achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. At A-level, the average points per entry is 34.47, equivalent to a C+ grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a B-. The sixth form’s value-added score is 0.08, which is in line with the national average. Parent feedback is largely positive: 85 per cent of respondents would recommend the school, and 88 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

Backwell is a large school with 1,597 pupils and a capacity of 1,728, so it is close to full. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 484 applications for 263 places, with 269 first-preference applications and all 263 offers going to first-preference families. The school has a sixth form and a range of facilities including science labs, a library, music rooms, tennis courts, an astro turf pitch, and playing fields. It offers a broad set of clubs and sports, from Model UN and Debate to Rugby and Martial Arts. SEND provision covers eight areas, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia, and speech and language needs. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is 8.7 per cent, which is below the national average. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded, oversubscribed comprehensive with strong academic progress and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.

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