Bulmershe School receives national recognition

The Bulmershe School is delighted to announce a wonderful achievement: for the first time, we have been included in The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, the definitive national survey of the highest-achieving secondary schools in the UK.

This inclusion is validation of the sustained hard work, dedication and comprehensive excellence demonstrated across our entire school community.

Ranking Among the Nation’s Best

The Parent Power Guide assesses schools using official exam data, but The Sunday Times uses editorial discretion to highlight those making exceptional progress and impact. We are thrilled that The Sunday Times specifically recognised our commitment to comprehensive excellence, looking at our overall academic performance, year-on-year movement, the dedication of our staff, and the imaginative initiatives that ensure we have both top marks and happy students.

The guide recognises our academic strength both locally and nationally. We are thrilled to be in the top 15% of schools in the high performing South East regions. To put our success into a national context, this places The Bulmershe School at 295 overall, sitting comfortably within the Top 400 state secondary schools out of approximately 4,180 across the country. We are firmly among the best, and that is a remarkable collective achievement worth celebrating!

This recognition directly reflects the outstanding GCSE and A-Level results achieved by our students last summer and the high-quality teaching they received.

More Than Just League Tables: Wellbeing Featured

We always pride ourselves on nurturing well-rounded, happy and resilient young people. The Sunday Times agreed that our success goes beyond league tables, featuring our commitment to student wellbeing in a separate article titled '32 lovely innovative things happening in schools'.

We were extremely proud that this article included a mention of our school therapy dog, Buddy! The piece noted Buddy's calming presence and his role in supporting our pupils, whether listening to them read or offering emotional support and stress relief. To be highlighted in a national newspaper for embodying a nurturing and innovative school environment, alongside our academic recognition, truly captures the spirit of The Bulmershe School.

Choosing the Right School:

For prospective families researching their next school, The Sunday Times guidance emphasises that looking beyond raw league tables is key. We fully endorse this holistic view. When choosing a school, parents should:

• Study the Results: Look for consistent performance, not just volatile single-year scores.
• Check Progress Measures: Measures like the Progress 8 score are crucial, showing how well a school helps all pupils achieve their potential from Year 6 to GCSE. (A score above zero means the school is performing well nationwide).
• Look Beyond Academics: Ask about the range of extracurricular activities and the quality of learning that prepares students for the 21st century.
• Visit and Observe: Gauge the mood of the school, observe student behaviour, and ask pupils what they genuinely enjoy. Look for inspiring leadership and consistent, high-quality teaching and marking.

As the guide highlights, the most successful schools are not just chasing top grades, but creating all-round students ready for the 21st century.

A Shared Success

Thank you to all our staff, students, and families for being such a vital part of the Bulmershe success story. We have much more to achieve, but this is a fantastic milestone.

This recognition demonstrates that our pastoral-focused approach works. We invite all prospective families to read this news and discover the comprehensive excellence offered at The Bulmershe School.