Colston Girls School

[HooNose]

I feel a little afraid asking this after the Redland Green thread, but I would be grateful if Bristolians could give me the run down on Colston Girls School.

I have moreorless decided against it but they have an open evening next week so it is now or never and I just want to be sure.

HooNose - I think Colston's is as likely/unlikely to have people with affluent lifestyles as any other state or private school. Quite a few parents put Colston's or Cathedral down as first choice and if they don't get them, go private - but in their private-sector days neither of those schools had particularly well-off parents compared to, say, Badminton or Clifton College. And I have come across plenty of families taking loads of foreign holidays at DDs former state primary, and plenty at DS's private school who haven't been further than Wales for years because all their money goes on school fees....

South Gloucester must have better schools than Bristol with plenty more land too, Bristol schools have to bus some children out to playing fields and not just the State schools.

Well, I hesitate to say this but even South Glos schools aren't all they are cracked up to be, hence looking further afield.

I am not sure how admissions works. The dd of my friend who is at Colston wanted to swap to our local South Glos school (nothing against Colston but she was missing her primary school friends) but she hasn't been able to swap, the local comp being fully subscribed. I am not convinced if dd put Colston first and failed to get in, she would get our local comp either.

So, given that no-one has told me Colston is a fantastic school and I must make every effort to get dd into it, I think I might just go for the local comp after all.

I have talked to dd about it over the course of this thread, and she doesn't seem so bothered about it anymore.

Good SGlos schools are The Ridings, Castle, Marlwood.

Have they built a new Secondary for all of those new houses?

Which new houses? I know they are planning 500 (some people think 1000) new houses near us. The school already has 270 per year group so I dread to think how much bigger the school will become. Or maybe they will just stop taking children from Bristol?

Portishead...that's SG isn't it?

LOL I don't think so.

North Somerset

portishead is n somerset i think

North Somerset according to Wiki. It has a good secondary doesnt it?

At least, we thought so when we were looking for a school. We just couldn't bear the thought of living in Portishead. I am now running off to watch Michael Mcintyre so if any of you live in Portishead and want to threaten me for denigrating your town, I am not going to know.

I went for a job interview at this school a few years ago when it was still a private school.

Good reasons for choosing this school:

1. only all girls school in Bristol

1. good for languages (most other schools in Bristol only offer 1 language)

1. there are school buses available

Did also like the Head who seemed to have good vision for the future.

Points against

1. stiff competition for places

2.aspects of building needed updating (but this has probably been done now using academy funding).

1. no OFSTED report so no independent assessment of how good the school really is.

Hope this helps!

I realise this is an old thread but thought I would update the situation for Colston's Girls' School.

Girls sit a Non Verbal reasoning test in the November, with the option of sitting a languages aptitude test straight afterwards, as 10% (14 places) are awarded to language scholars.

The girls are put into 5 bands based on ability - these are an equal number of girls put into each band, so it doesn't matter how well or badly a girl does in the test.

Names are drawn out randomly from each band, and places allocated, although places are first awarded for siblings, children in care and SEN.

If you are unsuccessful then you can stay on the waiting list. You won't know where you are on the waiting list, as names are drawn out randomly when a vacancy occurs. This is different to BCCS, who will tell you where on the waiting list you are. I think a separate list exists for language scholars.

The facilities have all been updated, with £12m spent on new buildings and refurbishment of existing facilities. The Ofsted report in 2010 rated the school as outstanding across the board. 2013 will be the first year of GCSE results for the comprehensive intake - it will be very interesting to see what happens...

Well CGS achieved 91% A*-C inc maths and English, which is better than when they were a selective school and apparently makes it one of the highest achieving non-selective state schools in the country