Ansford Academy
Academy converter · 469 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.7
Academy converter
The Blue School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,362of 1,640 places
- Free school meals
- 18.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 239
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 18 May 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Blue School (URN 123892, until 17 August 2011).
What the data says
Of the 227 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Blue School in 2023, 48% stayed on in The Blue School’s own sixth form (Somerset average 17%), 35% went to a further education college and 7% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 120 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 50% went to university (Somerset 24%, England 37%), and 32% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Design and Technology is unusually popular at GCSE: 54% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 49.7 against 46.1 across England and 43.5 in Somerset, with 51% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Somerset and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Blue School | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 227 | 5,178 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 95% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 85% | 81% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 48% | 17% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 17% | 13% |
| — further education college | 35% | 47% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 6% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 5% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | — | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Blue School | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 120 | 4,876 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 88% | 81% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 50% | 24% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 32% | 14% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 11% | 7% |
| Employment | 28% | 40% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Blue School | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 49.7 | 43.5 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 51% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 71% | 61% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 32% | 31% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.35 | 3.78 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 16% | 21% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 40.2 | 30.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 51.6 | 47.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 5% | 9% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 235 | 98% | 89% | 18% | 20% | 76% |
| Mathematics | 235 | 98% | 88% | 24% | 22% | 81% |
| English Literature | 228 | 95% | 86% | 13% | 21% | 73% |
| Combined Science | 187 | 78% | 65% | 11% | 9% | 71% |
| History | 142 | 59% | 41% | 28% | 26% | 67% |
| Design and Technology | 129 | 54% | 11% | 36% | 23% | 77% |
| Geography | 108 | 45% | 41% | 22% | 25% | 75% |
| Fine Art | 79 | 33% | 9% | 18% | 28% | 66% |
| Religious Studies | 79 | 33% | 31% | 28% | 32% | 75% |
| Spanish | 47 | 20% | 19% | 38% | 27% | 74% |
| Physics | 45 | 19% | 23% | 64% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 19% | 23% | 67% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 45 | 19% | 23% | 71% | 45% | 100% |
| Music | 43 | 18% | 5% | 14% | 33% | 60% |
| French | 43 | 18% | 18% | 44% | 29% | 84% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 42 | 18% | 8% | 19% | 21% | 76% |
| Drama | 18 | 8% | 7% | 17% | 27% | 83% |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Photography | 1 | 0% | 6% | — | 19% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 70 | 70% | — |
| Sports Studies | 54 | 54% | — |
| Health Studies | 36 | 36% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 11 | 11% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Blue School | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 226 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 100 | 1,831 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 35.16 | 33.81 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 23% | 12% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 31 | 31% | 31% |
| Biology | 26 | 26% | 20% |
| Geography | 26 | 26% | 10% |
| Psychology | 26 | 26% | 23% |
| History | 22 | 22% | 13% |
| Product Design | 19 | 19% | 2% |
| English Literature | 16 | 16% | 11% |
| Drama | 14 | 14% | 2% |
| Religious Studies | 13 | 13% | 4% |
| Physics | 13 | 13% | 12% |
| Fine Art | 12 | 12% | 3% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 11% | 17% |
| Politics | 11 | 11% | 6% |
| Spanish | 9 | 9% | 2% |
| Further Mathematics | 7 | 7% | 5% |
| D and T Textiles Technology | 7 | 7% | 0% |
| French | 6 | 6% | 1% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 16 | 16% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 15 | 15% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 13 | 13% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics (Numeracy) | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Somerset
Bishop Fox's School
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88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.9
Bridgwater College Academy
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Brymore Academy
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74% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.0
Buckler's Mead School
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Chilton Trinity School
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86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.0
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.