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

Wow you guys are so helpful. Very grateful to you all.

History will be tricky as almost certainly the topics will be very different.

Agreed, but starting in yr 10 that may not matter? It will be the skills that are key. Then adapting to learn history from a UK PoV rather than US, for sure.

Could maybe pick up Eng lit if able and a keen reader? Includes Shakespeare tho, has he studied that?

Ah, sorry - yes, that would be fine if it's a restart of year 10.

@mikiconfused has he been doing any languages?

No, not very keen reader. Not done any languages either.

History is one of his favourite classes. Covered world history pretty well.
Very strong in maths and science. A+ in all of his classes, loves school. Unlike his sister. She couldn't care less.
After reading everything you all sent we'll most likely to apply at one of the private schools for him and get on the waitlist at couple of schools for our daughter.

You could look at these private schools for your DD. They're both in the Westbury on Trym area of the city. I don't have any recent experience of either though.

Red Maids High School
Badminton School

If you find a school to start year 11, it’s going to be absolute hell. The UK system is very different, the content of the exams are harder and they are not multiple choice like they are in the US. They’ll have covered over half of the syllabus already (after Easter of year 11 it’s just revision - some schools year 11s don’t even come in after Easter as study leave just back in for exams. Others after May half term).
Can you find a US international school for your eldest?

Even things like English can be tricky for students who are moving from one British school to another, due to different exam boards.

Is there any relocation consultant package linked to DH’s new job? They may be able to advise on private schools.

get on the waitlist at couple of schools for our daughter.

Again, there isn’t a waitlist per se if it’s a state school. You make an in year application to the school or schools that interest you and if any accept you, you have to start within a few weeks or lose the place. You can go on waiting lists if not accepted and there may be families that move during the summer to create a year 9 space, but there may not.

Hiya. Maybe try moving somewhere like Almondsbury - the schools there less competitive and there is also the option of them going to school in Thornbury. Almondsbury very close to Filton for Airbus.

Possibly another option, would be to maybe not join for the last year of school (you may be forced into this anyway) and get tutors to help him bridge the gaps. Then he can do his GCSE’s at college(1 year), he can then do A Levels or BTECs for his further education and if he wants to move onto university/ higher education, many children take a gap year so lots will be his age.

The other thing you might look for is whether there is a private school which offers a one-year GCSE - probably more likely at boarding schools (which usually also take day pupils). One of our local privates offers this, aimed at those coming in from abroad, as prep for A-level. They do a limited number of GCSEs, and extra English if not native-speakers.

https://www.wycliffe.co.uk/senior-school/individualised-learning/development-year-2/

This could be another option: https://www.sgscol.ac.uk/study/gcse/gcse-plus--filton-campus

Private options for boys
https://www.cliftoncollege.com/

https://www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/

https://qehbristol.co.uk/

Clifton college has a lot of international students so is quite used to people needing extra support to get up to speed with the curriculum, and also I know in the past they’ve let American students join the year group below their age group so that they are not suddenly having to jump ahead. That may suit your son better so he could join into year 10 and do the full two years of GCSEs.

It is more expensive than the other private schools though.

It sounds like you don’t have any experience of Bristol. It’s a small city but traffic can be a nightmare. Rental properties can be really hard to come by as well as really expensive in the areas around Free school, Redland and cotham.

That said, it is an absolutely great city and great for teens.

There is often movement within Bristol schools as it’s a diverse city but it’s very unlikely that anyone will move their kids in y10 and 11 so it’s unlikely that you will get a space at an oversubscribed school for your ds.

The private schools have already been mentioned and you would need to speak to them directly.

Bristol grammar school is academically very selective, he would have to be a strong candidate to get a place. QEH, Clifton College and Clifton High School are all selective but less so.

The closest private school to Airbus is Collegiate https://www.collegiate.org.uk/ - mixed sex so could be an option for your daughter too. Montpelier (state) school is also further along the same road as Airbus, but is girls only and has gone down in standard in past 5 years - but that could make it easier for her to catch up. Bristol Grammar School (BGS) would be next closest in Cotham area of Bristol https://www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/
I think you’d definitely get a space in either of those - none of the private schools are bursting at the seams since VAT was added to fees.

The closest state school to Airbus would be Abbey Wood, followed by Bradley Stoke, Orchard and Winterbourne.

The roads around Airbus do get snarled up during rush hour so you might want to
consider living nearby to avoid a commute. Cheswick Village is a newish housing estate with lots of rentals and is home to loads of Airbus workers (and about 25 min walk to Collegiate school).

I’d suggest using a local to Bristol school specialist- like a relocation consultant but as school specific. It will be money well spent. The can advise you on fee paying and local schools and help guide you.

My children are at Clifton college and they often have pupils joining from abroad mid way through years and terms. Some only for a year or 2. They sit an entrance exam which can be done remotely but it’s not really academically selective unlike the other schools mentioned here.

edited to add I have colleagues who tried for Redland Green and Cotham but were offered Trinity academy as the catchments are small.

I don’t really think this will help the op tho. It’s unlikely there will be much choice of state schools anyway for her DD; and if she chooses private for her DS (if affordable - a year's fees at Clifton college is almost £40k!) there won’t be a huge range of options there either.

Montpelier High got a poor, many think (including me) unjustified, Ofsted report which has led to a lot of changes but greater availability of places. My daughters are year 11 and year 9 there and both have had very good experiences. We are Cotham catchment and are very pleased to have secured places at Montpelier instead, albeit Cotham is a good school. Friends at Redland Green are very happy with their children’s education but Redland Green is probably the hardest school to get into In the city due to the extremely small catchment area. I don’t know how much movement there is every year but I expect that there is a waiting list for whenever you want to join.

I’m no expert, but I echo the advice of earlier posters to look at private school for your year 11 child due to the difficulties in joining a school halfway through the GCSE cycle. I have been very pleased with Montpelier High, so also have no qualms in recommending it as a state school for your daughter.

Very best of luck

I should also add that my year 11 daughter is very academic and is expected to do very well In her GCSEs. Her cousins also went to the school and had exceptionally high GCSE results. Good academic results are not a problem at Montpelier High for those that want to put in the effort. My younger daughter seems less academic at the moment but it is nevertheless working really hard – it’s pretty much instilled in them there. I think what I’m trying to say is don’t let the poor Ofsted rating put you off!