Bristol state secondaries Cotham or Fairfield?

[Banjobollo]

Does anyone have any experience of either Cotham or Fairfield schools in Bristol? Considering a move to a house which should be in the catchment for both so would welcome any honest opinions. Thank you!

I've only got experience of one of these , and it may be that all schools are like this nowadays for all I know, but if Bristol was a school, I'd say it would be Fairfield!

There's a strong focus on being a good Global citizen, reflected in a curriculum that covers Partition, Civil Rights movement, British Justice system, Protest art etc. Loads of interesting stuff that are a world away (literally) from the English-centric teachings of my youth.

It seems a friendly place, staff respond quickly to emails and were amazing when my DD struggled at the start of year 7. She's very happy now (Yr 9), super-woke, tolerant and interested in the World around her. Elmfield School for Deaf Children is on the site and lessons are shared.

I think it's academically on a par with Cotham, although obviously hard to tell at the moment. The linked 6th form isn't on site. Extra-curricular stuff has stopped since lockdown.

Overall, it feels like a school that represents the city it's in and aims to create young adults that the World needs.

@bigyellowbowl thank you so much, that’s really helpful. Sounds like a fantastic school and just what we are looking for! We’re hoping to get our eldest into a local primary for year 6 so he can make some local friends before moving up but good to know it’s a friendly place. Fingers crossed our offer gets accepted!

Would also welcome any thoughts anyone has on Cotham school as lots of children from our preferred primary school seem to go there. Thank you!

Hope you got the place you wanted.
My dd is going to Cotham in September, and we live in catchment area mainly for Fairfield, but on the edge for Cotham.
I don't know much about Fairfield other than it has a new flashy building and people in the area seem to think it is the bees knees. However, I have never been able to get a clear answer of why. Other than the staff are nice and they do lots of activities (fairly generic, tbh, I wouldn't expect my child to be beaten with the cane or sat in front a book all day copying Latin in any school). I also get fairly suspicious when I ask parents what is the learning like, how do they do the homework and if they are allowed to take books/notebooks home, and they look bewildered and respond as in a trance out of the Demon Headmaster "I don't know. But they are very nice and my child is happy."

I worked at Cotham years ago, and although not perfect, nothing is really, it is what I am looking for. Not really "the academic stuff", it is a bit silly to talk about a state school being "academic", they all have their fair share of braniacks and also of kids who leave school with no qualifications. All follow the NC, and the teacher are all trained the same!
For me the difference is that Cotham is still not part of a Trust, independent in a way if you will. It does not have the draconian behaviour policies that secondary schools in Trusts tend to have, where "good learning" seems to be translated into wearing a flashy blazer and a tie, and being given detention for asking the kid next to you if he's got a pen. No silly point system where tutors name and shame students if they haven't got the appropriate score for "good behaviour".
For me, it also has a good level of communication about the curriculum with children and parents, children are still trusted with borrowing textbooks from school and taking their workbooks home. They are fairly transparent on their website about exams and tests. They test regularly, and no, not all schools do. I did work in a school in Bristol once where I was told by the subject leader to add 0.25 to the grade in the previous term for everybody. Unsurprisingly it was a school with a terrible reputation and still is. Not in our area, thank god.

Thank you, that’s really interesting! Son not due to start until next year so we have a bit of time to look at the various options. Hope your DD settles in well in September.