applying for primary 2012/13?

[nowhearthis]

Just to update the council info.

Bishop Rd school is a 4 form entry school from 2012. Taking in 1 extra class each year starting from 2012.
Good news for parents applying this round!
But it does mean the school will rise to 900 pupils!!

I am not sure how the poster knew this so early but this has now made the press Bishop Road Extra Places for 2012.
Looks as if they will become a split site school in the long term.
But they are not the only school in Bristol who will become a 4 form entry!

4 form entry sounds scary! Which other schools will become 4 form crazy mum?

Other Bristol schools with 4 form entry are: Air Balloon Hill, Filton Avenue Infants and May Park primary schools.
However there are still a lot of popular schools in Bristol with an intake of only 30 pupils which is quite a contrast.
Link to council website www.bristol.gov.uk/page/primary-additional-places-update here.

The site that its planned to build on is very close to Bishop Rd school - across a road. From the Head's letter it sounds like the after school club would move to the new build, and the letter also talked about it housing an 'outdoor' classroom for fieldwork there. That would free up 3 classrooms in the building that years 3 and 4 currently use which would mean the school could probably cope on the main site for a while without needing to move any kids on to the satellite. (BTW there's already one four class entry in the school who I think are in Year 2 now).

I think this is the school that was in Private Eye recently because the senior management staff of the school accepted illegal payments to facilitate their agreeing to this expansion. I may be misremembering.

Yes it is xkcd. The head is an interesting woman to say the least.

www.bristol.gov.uk/committee/2012/sc/sc015/0120_7.pdf

xkcdfangirl. I have to say that your comment about the legality of payments is not supported by an internal audit review.

Bristol City Council carried out on internal audit investigation and the Council receives the greatest criticism for the way it handled the payments to the school. See conclusions at 4.1.

I think it is a detailed and balanced report that prospective parents to the school should read and not rely on hearsay.

What concerns me about the new site (and I live literally next door to it) is that the very short road the site is at the end of is lined with 3 car mechanic businesses. It's always busy with cars coming and going. Bit of a safety issue?

MsIngaFewmarbles. I asked my kids at Bishop Rd how they go to the school field at the moment and they seem to have access through a path next to the allotments. They don't go past the garages, but I don't know what the long term plan is. I agree going past the garages would not be good.

They do sometimes use the road as they pass my house. I didn't know about the path by the allotments though, that's a little more reassuring.

Steady, I think there was a witch hunt at Bishop road. Head was found guilty of nothing, certainly not taking money.