Bristol Grammar or Collegiate?

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DS in year 5, considering Bristol Grammar or Collegiate for year 7 onwards (or possibly from year 6).

Collegiate has direct bus from almost outside our house and shorter journey time. But seems very focused on sport and DS isn't sporty.

BGS is hard to get to (I'd need to take him and pick him up, which would be hard around work) but seems better academically. However I did feel a bit 'looked down on' when I did their tour (I'm not from an independent school background).

Also DS is socially shy so I'm not sure which would be best for that?

BGS has always been academically stronger than Colston Collegiate but both schools are sporty.
I'd go with whichever you feel most comfortable with yourself - you'll be attending a lot of events!

Thank you @7catsisnotenough . I hadn’t realised they were equally sporty. On the BGS tour they focused more on cookery, drama etc., whereas Collegiate was a lot more about the variety of sports on offer. Although I suppose maybe that’s because Bristol Grammar doesn’t have their sports fields on the same site as the school, so nothing physical to show on the tour.

BGS have great sporting facilities at Failand and I believe they still have some ground at Golden Hill too. Hockey, cricket and rugby were the sports my family were involved in (dad, brother and sisters all attended). I do think that the schools would be led by your child's interests though so he wouldn't be pushed into the sport side of things beyond the usual PE lessons. My sisters are both musical and were very well catered for (several instruments each - I can't play a thing 🤣) so I do think there's a lot of scope to find his niche there.

Depending on where you live BGS is quite well served by buses which may be helpful as DS gets slightly older/ more confident 😊

Please don't let the person who showed you around put you off, if they had a condescending attitude that reflects badly on them!

On a side note, I went private at year 6 ( no girls at BGS in my day so I'm the odd one out - sisters are young enough to be my kids!) and I was one of perhaps 5/6 new pupils. Year 7 had a larger intake of new children so might be worth thinking about whether DS would settle better going in Y7 when there will possibly be more "unattached" pupils for him to meet and make friends with? Good luck whatever you decide!

Thank you @7catsisnotenough that’s really helpful. Sadly public buses from our part of Bristol only go to the bus station - so probably about 20 minute walk from there, which will be ok once he’s an older teenager. I’m erring on the side of Collegiate at the moment based mainly on transport - school bus plus school car park if I do need to take him - but I’m thinking being right in the city centre at BGS might be good fun in terms of doing things after school once DS is older. I’m glad to hear that your family members enjoyed BGS. They both seem like nice schools so hopefully whichever we pick will work out for him.

Are they the only 2 you’re considering? What about Clifton College, Clifton High, or QEH?

They’re too far from where we live, journey time would be too long. Also not keen on schools that are single sex or part boarding (I think there would be a ‘them and us’ divide). I realise neither of those reasons apply to Clifton High, but location doesn’t work.

IMHO, BGS can be a bit hot-headed with academia while Collegiate is a bit better on the "pastoral care".

Frankly, the thing I'd be most concerned about is whether the schools will be viable in the long-term. I'd expect BGS to be ok while Collegiate...possibly not.

@sherbsy are you able to say a bit more about this? We're considering BGS/QEH/CHS/collegiate too. How would one know if an independent school was struggling financially?

I know a few commercial people in the sector. The first three you mention are fine but imo the last one might struggle in 3-5 years time.

QEH isn’t far at all from BGS - in my day we shared a school bus!

I think what @sherbsymeans is that Collegiate is a more affordable, less traditional private school, so the people that go there who can just afford the fees might leave in a sort of mass exodus if fees keep going up. Whilst the old school private school family would still be able to afford the boarding schools they’ve always gone to so would just pay regardless.

BGS, QEH, CHS and Collegiate basically all have the same fees.

There are plenty of other issues in the financial sector, education sector and society in general that will (imho) mean more than 50% will close over the next 10 years.

The writing is sadly on the wall.

That's interesting. I've looked at the numbers for 2025 entry to yr 7 and after adding on costs for mandatory lunches etc there's a circa £400 difference between BGS and collegiate for next academic year. QEH another £400 ish and CHS a further £1500. Presumably historically it was a larger gap at the lower end because right now there's not much in it between BGS/collegiate & QEH?

BGS only added 6% VAT to their fees this year whereas I think CHS added the full 20% which will account for some of the difference.

CHS is beyond hard to get into now. Mine have finished CHS but it was beyond a school, outstanding pastoral care. They do an adventure programme now but loads of clubs and enrichment. All of mine have thrived there. I went to BGS and we initally wanted them to go to my old school as I have loved it. But they were a bit ‘snooty’ and talked down to us too and we knew they were a hot house.

CHS has been fantastic. You will find they are buses and lift shares everywhere. We didn’t even live in Bristol and managed to lift share. Parents come from all over. With CHS year 6 and guaranteed entry to year 7, so it ends up being 100s of applicants for 10 places. Most parents get their children in younger in the hive to get them into year 7. I have not a single bad word about CHS outstanding school. All of ours got into the uni of their dreams and the course of their dreams with their support. Having the swimming pool onsite is a huge plus. And yes expect the other fees to go up but CHS to remain pretty steady now.

DH was Head Boy at Colstons in the early 90s. He played Rugby.

What’s CHS?

@Englishsummerblues Clifton High School