Moving to Bristol with teenagers: advice on school admissions and renting

[mikiconfused]

Moving back to UK, Bristol. 2 kids 15 and 13, worried about school admission. Should we try rent closer to Cotham school or Redland Green or Free school. Contacted all of them, all oversubscribed. Advice??
Thank you

When does the 15 year old turn 16 and when does the 13 year old turn 14?

Those are awkward ages to move because GCSE courses happen in the two school years from 14-15 and 15-16.

Son will turn 16 on February 16 2027
Daughter will be 14 on January 20th 2027

Ah so for the older DC, they would be in year 11 from Sept and that’s very challenging.

As I am sure you know, year 11 is GCSE year and anyone joining a school in Sept of year 11 would have a long hill to climb to be able to take GCSEs unless they had already done a lot of work towards them. Which they may have done, eg at an international school. If not I would strongly advise a limited selection of GCSEs – maths, Eng lang, science and anything they are keen to pursue and have already worked on eg MFL (do they speak a language native to where you are now? if so that’s a positive) or geography/history/PE etc.

In any case you are going to have to accept a school place at whichever school has spaces, once you have an address. If your favoured schools have no space then that is most likely. Especially for the 15yo whom you won’t want to move. The 13yo – might be worth staying on WLs for preferred schools.

Is private school an option at all as that may be more flexible?

Kids were born in Manchester, lived in Seattle for 12 loooong years, now new job at Airbus for my husband. We are so worried about schools, everything else is sorted. My 15yr old very good student we may opt for private school if necessary. My daughter not so keen to have good grades.

Should we rent as close as possible to one of the schools we would like our kids to go to? How much does that matter. I saw rental literally 200meters from Cotham High

But living on the playground won't get you a space if there arent any - and other people can meet higher admission criteria than you.

I would ask where the council CAN offer you spaces and start looking there.

Moving a child into yr 11 is very very hard.

Is there a set time you absolutely have to move your eldest? It’s a shocker of a year to join, not all independent schools will take admissions then. When are formal exams where you are? Cold he take them and then come here for a level instead?

Exactly as a PP said - you won't get a space at an oversubscribed school no matter how close to it you live.

The council will be obliged to find you a place somewhere if all schools are oversubscribed but it won't necessarily be where you want.

Alternatively an independent may allow him to resit year 10

Moving your DD into year 9 is much less of a concern as that's the year most kids pick the GCSEs to study in years 10 and 11.

Is there an American or International school nearby that your son could attend for a year before starting A levels which would be more continuous from his US curriculum?

Yes, this would be a good option if possible

I would try looking at schools in South Gloucestershire as well as central Bristol.
Airbus is in Filton where the LEA is South Gloucestershire, so that would be a better travel distance.

Schools in USA are one year behind UK. He's 9th grade here but jumping to year 11 in uk. It's so worrying. School finishes here June 17th, maybe we can get him a tutor to help prepare for UK. We have to move this summer.

Your daughter may be able to get into the girls school, Montpelier High, which is close to both those schools and gets good exam results (better than Cotham IIRC). I'd be tempted to think of private for your son since it's GCSE year.

Yes I agree with PPs

Two possible options:

• Stay in USA and sit final exams (apols, no idea if this is a thing?) then move to UK for sixth form and A level s aged 16
• Find a private school that will let him go into year 10. He would be six months older than the oldest in the year (and 18mo older than the youngest) but that needn’t be an issue.

Private school starting in yr 10 in UK if affordable (£20k plus per year) might be the best option. A lot of private schools are struggling for numbers so may be flexible.

Would private school be easier to secure. We can maybe afford to send one child to private school

You guys are so helpful. Thank you

GCSEs are approx 9-11 subjects with an exam (and often some coursework or fieldwork) at the end of year 11.

Typically these would be English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science (single, double or separate), a language (I imagine he may have done Spanish to date but not all schools will offer Spanish), a humanity (geography, history etc) and some kind of technical or artistic subject (Design Technology etc - this group is the most likely to have coursework or project that your son would be behind in)

There are also different exam boards (e.g. History in one board might be about the Cold War and another board about the Tudors) so you would ideally know which school and which GCSEs he was doing before appointing any tutors.

I can't stay here any longer. I hate it.

Any private school you recommend?

Would you advice for us to come and visit schools in person? We can come last week of June.

I suggest you contact any that are local enough to where you will be. I don;t know Bristol super well but there won't be 50. Or even 10. (Just as an example, where I live (smaller city, but a bigger nearby city) there are about four secondary private options).

So I would email or call them all and see if a year 10 start in Sept would be possible. You may then end up with a very short shortlist and can maybe visit them this summer. All the best with it.

He's done here in year 9:
Maths
English Language
History
Band (trumpet)
Chemistry
Physics
Computer Science

For private schools for your son would recommend QEH.

For schools in South Gloucestershire would suggest Winterbourne or The Castle School, Thornbury

OK well that's good. Decent basis there. He could maybe do physics and chem (usually students take all three sciences but private school can allow them to drop one, I know a YP who did that) maths, Eng lang, history, CS. Possibly music as well. That's 6-7 which is plenty. School will need to be aware of need to flex. But may be keen to have your DS in school.