primary and secondary schools bristol

[Yorkshirelass444]

Hi all,
I am mother of 8yr old boy and 6yr old girl and keen to move out of existing place!
I've long wanted to live in south west and really like Bristol- I know that it ticks a lot of boxes for me.
However, we have the option of sending kids to Bootham quaker school in York- which has a lovely, nurturing ethos and is most definitely not an academic hothouse!
It would mean living in York which is a lovely city, but not one i know well and prob quite different to Bristol.
So, while I love the school in York, I'm less certain whether the city will be a fit for me..and, while I know I love Bristol, I don't know if there is a similar school.
We can go private or state- just really important that pastoral care is fab and not too much emphasis on academia.
Boy sensitive, though makes friends easily and likes football; girl easygoing, tomboy, likes art and wrestling with friends (all boys)!
I am aware that there is a quaker school 30 mins away but I definitely want a city school.
Thank you.

Hi, you are right there is sidcot school which is a Quaker school outside bristol in somerset, not sure you could quite get thee in thirty mins but maybe!
State schools in bristol vary from the great to the awful and you need to be living on the doorstep of the great ones to get in I am afraid and it would depend where had a place for a mid year transfer so may be different schools for your two children.
Private schools are academic focused in the main but Torwood house is worth considering, it doesn't have academic selection criteria and is a small school with nurturing environment plus it takes boys and girls. There is also a Steiner school depending how you feel about that. Downs school on the outskirts may be worth considering, lots of green space and again no academic selection on entry.
Bristol grammar, red maids, badminton, clifton college are all academic. Clifton high, colstons private school ( not to be confused with costons girls school which is a state school) and Redland high less so, clifton high is boys and girls.
I think in your shoes I would look at Torwood house, the downs school and clifton high and colstons private school. Be aware that Torwood only goes up to 11, downs school to 13, I think the others go up to 18.
Good luck

Thank you very much, Heels- this all really helps.
I'd done a bit of research but was unaware of downs and torwood so will def look into those.
very interesting to hear that redland high not too academic as i read on mumsnet that it has fab art provision which would be great for daughter and i had wondered how it differed from red maids.
Steiner is a route i have seriously considered but decided it's just too leftfield for me- the quaker school seemed like a good middle ground between traditional british public school and the anthrposophy (wtf?!) focus of steiner schools.
also v interested in clifton high and colstons.
I do have one more question!
I'm aware of a boys school called Queen Elizabeth's Hospital- do you (or anyone) know what this place is like? and thanks again.

Hi yes, qeh is a good school only for boys and think it starts at 11 but not sure. Think is quite academic. Know people with son there, very happy with it but it is not the Quaker type thing you were looking for.

Have to say I think Redland high still academic but just less so than some others. Have heard good things about art at Clifton college but that may not be type school you are looking for.

thanks you, heels- all good to know
and it could be that compromises would be made if art was just terrific at clifton college!
i'm not anti academia but aware that we're very much a type B family(!) and prob wouldn't suit a school full of future CEOs - and their parents- we'd be swallowed up!!

thanks you, heels- all good to know
and it could be that compromises would be made if art was just terrific at clifton college!
i'm not anti academia but aware that we're very much a type B family(!) and prob wouldn't suit a school full of future CEOs - and their parents- we'd be swallowed up!!

thanks you, heels- all good to know
and it could be that compromises would be made if art was just terrific at clifton college!
i'm not anti academia but aware that we're very much a type B family(!) and prob wouldn't suit a school full of future CEOs - and their parents- we'd be swallowed up!!

oops! triple posting

I would have said redland high and redmaids were on a par academically together with qeh and bristol grammar. Clifton college, Clifton high and Colston's less so. Badminton more academic again but full of foreign boarders.

thanks for the info gloucester!

I would definitely recommend Torwood - my daughter is there. Fantastic pastoral care - really friendly school that brings out the best in the children... and they get great results for entry into the private secondarys.

thank you, henleaze- good to know!