Secondary school for year 9

[valldoreix]

Hi there. We moved over to Bristol from Spain in April this year and my daughter started at St Katherine's in Pill. We are currently living in Clifton and so she has been getting a bus to school. However we have to move flats at the end of next month and we are considering moving towards Cotham and trying to get our daughter a place there. The bus trip to Pill is a bit of a pain and we'd prefer her to have friends locally. I've been told by Bristol council that Cotham is full and that probably Fairfield High would be the option if living in Cotham. The reports I've seen on Fairfield don't look good and I don't want to move her if the education she gets will be worse than in Pill. Should we move nearer to Ashton Park? how can we find out which schools may have places? Thanks.

Where do her friends at St Kat's live? Perhaps it would be easier to move closer to her friends rather than move schools? Could she make more local friends through an after school activity e.g. youth club?
You could find out which other schools have places in your daughter's year group by phoning Bristol city council. Am not sure if your daughter is Y9 now but once children start Y10 it's very difficult to move them once they have started GCSEs.
In my opinion St Katherines is a better school than either Fairfield or Ashton Park.

Thanks for that. She is currently in year 8 and so the idea is that it would be now or never really in terms of changing schools. As she has only done a term, it would be possible without too much disruption we hope. Fairfield we have really discounted and I have had more info from Bristol council. I'm just waiting to hear whether Ashton Park actually have places and then in the event of, making that decision. Her school friends live locally and I'm afraid we aren't very keen on moving to Pill. Thanks for the advice :)

If Ashton Park does have space then after visiting the school would recommend moving nearer to the catchment area e.g to Southville or Windmill Hill as that would increase the chances of her finding local friends. (It's still not guaranteed though as there are still children at Ashton Park from outside the catchment area - mostly other parts of South Bristol who travel to school by bus).

Thanks. If they do have a place at AP then we've decided to have a good look around with our daughter, to see what we think about it. I don't want to put her through a change if not for the better. Thanks again.

The council can tell you which schools have places.
Ashton park had a real improvement in gcse results last year, massively so, but until,then gcse results were below the national average and lots of local families have traditionally sent their kids to North Somerset schools instead, including St Kats. This has tended to be the more midle class parents. Many also go to St Mary redcliffe and some to cathedral school. Ashton park has typically picked up the remainder although it looks like this is changing and the school has improved after years of under performing.
Don't think you have anything to gain by considering Fairfield tbh.

We are looking to move school for DD. a lot of schools are oversubscribed and i have a few more to call but so far we have.
Brimsham green
bristol free school &chipping sodbury.

does anyone have experience of these schools? good and bad points?

Just to say fairfeild us improving

60 percent a to c

69 english
70 maths
89 double science

Unfortunately can't find them on dfe for new progress 8 score bit their value added last few years ie progress made has been good.