Bristol Secondary Schools

[suki2121]

Hi, we have just had an offer accepted on a house in Bristol and we are going to be moving to Bristol in July. Our daughter will be starting secondary school in September (aged 11), but we have not yet indentifed a school for her! We would like to consider both State and Independent options, but it is really difficult to know where to start - particularly during lockdown. Her talents lie more in the arts and she would probably find a highly competitive environment pretty stressful.

I would be really grateful if anyone could give me some tips or recommendations. Thank you in advance.

Oh dear its a very difficult time to be moving to Bristol - Exams for the independents have all happened, and all the state school deadlines have passed too. You'll have a difficult road ahead. Your options may be limited to undersubscribed schools - which are mostly unpopular for a reason. You won't be able to get priority for any state school waiting list until you have actually moved in July - a few places may come available over the summer if you are lucky. Some independent schools may be a little more accommodating if they haven't had the applicant numbers they ususally get in this very unusual year!

Whereabouts is the house you are buying?

I agree with PP. You might have more luck applying for a prep school place for years 7&8 as they will be losing pupils who go for year 7 entry elsewhere.

That's an excellent idea @Gloschick - but unfortunately most prep provision in Bristol is either the junior wing of all-through 4-18, or ends at 11yo. The only exception I can think of is The Downs School which I have heard some good things about but it is a bit of a commute if you aren't on that side of the city.

Thank you so much for your replies. Our daughter is adopted so she will have priority need for a State School place and we should be able to select the school. We are considering Bristol Cathedral Choir School, but don't know much about it - other than that it seems to have a good reputation. Our new house is by Brandon Hill, so it would be geographically convenient. The independent school we were considering is Clifton High School but, again we don't know very much about it. Many thanks for any further help.

I would try approaching Clifton High school as soon as possible about making an application. Some parents in Bristol apply to the independent sector as a back-up option and there are sometimes places available after the main secondary school allocation.
Have you checked the admissions criteria for Bristol Cathedral Choir school OP? Living close to the school isn't a criteria for admissions because it's lottery entry with music aptitude test.
Other state schools close to your new address would be Cotham School and Redland Green School which both have a more standard admissions policy.

Cathedral is an excellent school, with a great rep. Lots of my friends teach there and really like working there.

Redland Green also has a good rep, but I don’t know much about it.

St Mary redcliffe and temple school also a very good option

Re your DD being adopted - this will get her priority on the waiting lists for schools (looked after and previously LAC children are likely to be the first category) but it won't get you a place in a full school year, and the problem is now that your application will be considered after all the on-time applications have gone out. She would leap to the top of a waiting list, but wouldn't just be given a place if the school was full.

In reality, secondary school waiting lists are likely to move by the 1 you are likely to need, but the later in this year you apply the more likely it is you will get a place when the first rounds of reshuffling happen as people decline places.

Bristol Cathedral Choir is considered to be an excellent school. I personally don't rate it for several reasons, but there you go.

My son went to Cotham and is now on for a first at University of Bristol.

arghhh I meant the later you apply the less likely you will get a place quickly in the school of your choice as all the reshuffling will most have happened! sorry

The LA do have to allocate a place somewhere, but it does not have to be at a school of your choice.

Clifton high is fee paying and entrance tests etc. Cathedral and St Mary Redcliffe are heavy oversubscribed. I think you will have to talk to the Bristol city council schools admissions for advice or perhaps check the website out. I know secondary schools can admit extra students above their quota. Also the Appeals will be going through in a few months as well . Good luck 🤞 fwiw both my older sons went to St Mary Redcliffe excellent school and very supportive of SEN children, its also a CoE school

Bristol LEA have a second round of allocations in May, but by July all the appeals would be completed and it would count as a very late application.
You would also need to check the admissions criteria for all the schools you are interested in. St Mary Redcliffe and Temple school has faith criteria for entry and this may also affect LAC.
For schools such as Redland Green and Cotham your dd would be top of the waiting list as an LAC child and I am aware of late places coming up at these 2 schools.

To be honest I think that for this cohort, every school both state and private is going to be overwhelmed with coping with the fallout of 18 months of pandemic-affected education. Every school is going to have traumatised and disengaged pupils who will need a lot of extra help to get them back into the flow of learning.

The reason that LAC get first priority at all state schools is because these children have often had such a traumatic and difficult start in life that it is the least we can do as a society to make sure they get dealt the best opportunities open to them when it comes to their education.

There is no guarantee that a private school will be intrinsically better than a state school in general terms, but in the context of starting a new school in a new city immediately after a global pandemic when every state school will be drastically under-funded for the task they have been given. Possibly even more so for somewhere like the Cathedral school as its excellent reputation means it is often the named school for LAC and children with an EHCP so they will already have a disproportionate number of pupils who need extra attention. I think your DD has a better chance of receiving the support she needs at a private school and I would be aiming for CHS in your position, assuming you can afford it.

This is our list of potentials for our LO:

Cathedral Choir School (state): Great for music & drama. We know lots of people with children at the primary school - all very positive. Lovely building in and around the cathedral & library. Catchment area large but recently reduced so being local is worth more than previously. Ofsted outstanding. Have a friend whose LO transferred mid-year to the secondary school (also adopted) so it obviously happens outside the normal window. They are very happy so far. Not easy to park by the cathedral so ideal if the kids can walk/cycle.
Cotham (state): Heard good reports. Know two teens who are there and both lovely and polite. One is very creative and the other is into IT. Have met the head mistress quite a few times who seems very nice and is creative herself.
BGS (private): Small class sizes, reasonably priced for a private school, nice atmosphere when we looked round. I think of it as being quite academic - maybe because the people I know with kids there are all professors at the university so that may be misleading. All give good reports. Lovely tartan uniform.
St Mary Redcliffe (state): Great reputation. I believe you usually need a letter from a church as CofE, although may be different for adopted children.

Also near the area you're talking about: Clifton College (private): amazing grounds, own theatre for school performances, good support for extra needs (in our friend's experience), I believe good sports offering and not so academically pushy, but that is based on friends who are ex-pupils so could be out-of-date. Clifton High (private): I don't know about the secondary school but we have friends at the primary whose LG is very happy.

Good luck!

Hi all, my son got an offer from Clifton High School and Colston's School. May I have you comment on these two school?

I did some research that Colston's GCSE & A-level result is better than Clifton High however Clifton High has excellent pastoral and Diamond Edge Method education.

Thank you!

Depends very much on the particular child. We didn't think Colstons would be good for our DS and weren't especially bowled over by CHS either but in both cases it was more about each of them being a poor fit for his personality and learning style rather than either school actually having anything wrong with them - I am sure there are many kids who would absolutely thrive at either.

One thing to note - at Colstons every child is expected to join the CCF (military training) - we did ask what would happen if a pupil had a conscientious objection to military training and were told that it was technically an optional activity but they couldn't think of anyone who had actually opted out at all in recent years, so it is effectively compulsory. This did put us off but might well be a plus point for many families.

The "Diamond" method that CHS use is all very well so long as your child fits well into the expected behaviour stereotypes for their sex. I am sure it is helpful for a lot of pupils but I would have concerns for how it would affect someone whose natural tendencies weren't stereotypical. I'd have no concerns about sending a DD there as I am sure that even a non-sterotypical DD would not find it detrimental to be taught in single-sex groups for some subjects. I would think carefully about it for a DS, on a case-by-case basis. My understanding is that research has shown that girls generally learn better in a single-sex environment, and boys generally learn better in a mixed-sex environment (I can't quote references for that though).

Thanks for the comment, especially the CCF (military training) @ Colston.

Hi @suki2121 I wouldn't discount The Downs due to commute. There is a bus from Clifton village which is very convenient. It's v easy from Brandon Hill. The Downs is a lovely school with a new Headteacher who seems young and dynamic. It's quite sporty and rough and tumble and can be great for the right kid.
Clifton College is ok. Results are fairly mediocre and extremely expensive. Ever since the last two peado teacher cases they've lost lots of parents and there are rumours of money issues.
BGS seems to get a strong following, good academic results as well good other activities. I've heard mostly good things.
Clifton High is sweet. Not academic but good pastoral care. Seems nice.

I know the area you're moving to very well. DM if you want some more details on the area.

You mentioned that Clifton High has good pastoral care but no academic, does it mean that the academic is not good? thank you.

CHS is absolutely fine academically. There are plenty of bright kids there and their results are good. It does admit pupils with a broader ability range than some other selective schools so there is a bit less emphasis on academic excellence and more on being the best you can be but accepting that some are going to struggle to get top grades and don't need to feel bad about that. I wouldn't have any concerns about them on that front though.

Thank you for your comment.