Secondary school in Bristol

[Mariamoreno]

Hello everybody! We are moving to Bristol soon I'm looking for good secondary school
Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!

[oklumberjack]

Welcome to Bristol (Great place!) and welcome to a hot topic.

There will be people telling you that most state Secondary Schools in Bristol are utter crap but that view is quite out of date.

Best regarded schools in Bristol are IMO

Bristol Cathedral
Redland Green
Cotham
Colston Girls School.

Cathedral and Colstons have admissions on a lottery basis so no catchment area.
I (personally) didn't try for these schools as I didn't think they were right for my dd.

Whereabouts in Bristol are you coming to? After everything I said about Bristol schools, my dd actually goes over the border to BANES, however we only live 1/2 a mile from the border anyway so it's not that an usual decision.

Other schools I have some knowledge of is

Ashton Park school
Bedminster Down

[Wolfiefan]

Bristol secondary schools are indeed a hot topic!
The other issue is where you need to work. That will massively influence where you live as traffic is pretty horrendous.
Lovely part of the world though. Lots going on and plently of lovely places easily accessible.

[Merlin40]

Where are you looking to move OP?

[Mariamoreno]

Thanks a lot for your help! My husband works in airbus Filton, he knows quite well Bristol as he was living there before to meet me, he doesn't know about school as before he hadn't jejejej
He told me to live around sitios: Clifton, redland, cotham, westbury-on-trym, henleaze

[Mariamoreno]

What about Backwell School - North Somerset ? I read it's quite good but in a small town....I don't feel like to live outside from Bristol
We live in toulouse the children go to a private school international but we have a help from his company in Bristol we have not help , it's too expensive , in Bristol I'm looking for a public school

[blackcherries]

Just to help things out, schools that are publicly funded in the UK are called 'state schools'. 'Public schools' can mean ones you pay for, like 'private schools'. It's confusing and caused a bit of a bunfight on another mumsnet thread so just thought I'd point it out!

[oklumberjack]

Backwell is a very well regarded school (although I rejected it for my dd as well!). You don't have to live in Backwell to get a place but you will struggle from Clifton or North Bristol.

Nailsea and Gordani school are also very good but you will not get a place living in Bristol.

If you are Catholic you can look at St Bedes? I've never lived North Bristol so I don't know the exact choices. I know catchment areas are small.

[Footle]

Gordano, not Gordani , by the way.

[Mariamoreno]

Thanks a lot it's very helpful all your ideas!

[errorofjudgement]

The other factor will be which schools have places. If you apply and the school is full, the education authority will allocate places in a different school that is not full.
What age will your children be on 31 August as that will determine which school year they go into.

[Mariamoreno]

Thanks! My husband told me we will move in august 2019 o maybe before about April, we will try during summer because we would like the children finish the year in their school
My soon will be 14 and my girl 5
In this moment he is in grade 6 but it's international cv he is soon 12
He is 3 languages English Spanish and French perfect, he also love playing football and all sports in general
Very good student ( until now)
I would look for a place where the behaviour is well control and if it's strong in French also it's interesting
The girl is small it's the reason because I'm focusing more in him
I think
Backwell
Gordano
Cothan
Readland
Bed monster
Clevedon
Could be a good choice? If we are lucky and he find a place ! The first is the school and the second the place for live
It's hanks a lot

[catslife]

It's still fairly new but there is also Bristol Free School in North Bristol.
I am unsure if they just offer after school classes or full time schooling but you may also want to check this place as well francaise bristol.
If he is nearly 14 now, your son will be 16 in 2019 and your move will correspond to starting sixth form in the UK.

[Mariamoreno]

He is nearly 12 he will be 14 when we move but it's possible finally we have to move before 2019 it's the reason because I would like to start where to go when arrived the moment sometimes in my husband job things works too much faster I think that will happen with moving to Bristol sooner that he thinks

[Footle]

Bedminster ( minster is an old word for cathedral ).
Cotham pronounced Cottam.
Hope you don't mind the corrections, just hoping to help you. Good luck with the move.

[Mariamoreno]

Jajajaj thanks a lots!! for your correction it's very helpful!

[errorofjudgement]

if your son started school in Sept 2019 and was 14 at that point, he would move into Y10. This is the formal start of the 2 year GCSE courses. The pace of lessons can be quite fast, as there is a lot to cover. Starting in a UK school in Y9 would give him time to become accustomed to the UK, and the English schooling system.

[blackcherries]

Bed monster

[Mariamoreno]

Thanks

[Mariamoreno]

Please from this group which schools do you think has less problems with behaviour or are the best academically? Thanks a lot
Backwell
Gordano
Cottam
Readland
Bedminster
Clevedon

[Footle]

Spelt Cotham, pronounced Cottam. You must be getting fed up with me.

[Mariamoreno]

Ok

[oklumberjack]

It's a really hard question to answer OP. I don't have any personal knowledge of my own child going to any of those schools.

Have you looked at each school on the sisters data dashboard? Or there are some sites that will compare schools in various ways (The Good School Guide is one).

When you say behaviour problems what exactly do you mean?

[oklumberjack]

Sisters? *Ofsted.

[Mariamoreno]

Thanks! I mean behaviour problems a school where the rules are not very strict and the children do what they want to
Drugs....etc
I prefer a school with less often (I don't know how to write it) and more discipline and good ambient

[2014newme]

Take Bedminster off the list.
The others are fine.
If you are religious st Mary redcliffe is a good school