The predecessor to Beechen Cliff School dates back to 1896 as Bath City Secondary School which was based at the Guild Hall.
It moved to its current site in 1932 when it was renamed the City of Bath Boys’ School.
In 1970 the City of Bath reorganised secondary education and the City of Bath Boys’ School amalgamated with Oldfield Boys’ school to form Beechen Cliff School.
In the 1980s the school obtained grant maintained status and in 1997 Technology College status. With the demise of grant-maintained status it became a Foundation School in the early 2000s.
In 2008 the school was awarded Trust school status and in 2011 it became an Academy. From 2011 to 2023 it was part of the Bath Education Trust along with other secondary schools, universities and businesses from the local area.
Since 2014 the school has offered boarding places for boys with a boarding house for up to 34 pupils above the Sixth Form Centre.
In 2019 Beechen Cliff School joined a multi-academy trust, the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership , and in 2021 became part of the Bath Hub within this MAT along with Hayesfield Girls’ School at St Marks.
Since becoming Beechen Cliff the school has had seven headteachers (listed below):
| Name | Years |
| Mr P H Bolton | 1970 – 1979 |
| Mr R Buck (Acting) | 1979 – 1980 |
| Mr D A Stephens | 1980 – 1988 |
| Mr M J Oura | 1988 – 1990 |
| Mr R A Ludlow | 1990 – 2005 |
| Mr A B Davies | 2005 – 2021 |
| Mr T D Markall | 2021 – present |
Former headteacher, Roy Ludlow, published a book, The Basement to Beechen Cliff, in 2009.
Former headteacher, Andrew Davies, wrote this short history of Beechen Cliff in 2020.
A Brief History of Beechen Cliff 1896-2020
Beechen Cliff has a proud history of both achieving strong academic results and providing a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, with notable success in sport in particular. We are very proud of our pupil’s achievements and the successes of our alumni.