Bristol secondary schools

[Sagharbor]

Hi everyone,
We are relocating to North Bristol this autumn. We're abroad at the moment.

We applied for a year 7 place for our DS (second round) but got rejected by all three schools. The council has advised us to get on their waiting lists.

What are the chances that DS could get a spot in any of the schools? IYO, do these waiting lists work? If the case, what is the waiting time frame, are we looking at a 3 month wait? 6 months?

Would it help to call the schools' admissions (though it appears admissions are managed by the council for these schools?)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Which schools?

I’m afraid you have a real problem. Bristol (which has to be one of the worst run local education authorities there is) had a massive shortage of primary school places 8 years ago so had to put in a huge expansion programme in the primaries to cope. Quite unbelievably, it appears they didn’t think to then do something similar for secondary schools until the problem was on top of them. They have absolutely no places at all. The very left wing council would usually be first in line to put there hand up for supporting things like housing Afghan or Ukrainian refugees but they’ve said no to central gov because they have no school places.
They are a joke!

Thanks for your replies.

The schools are: Cotham school, Fairfield high and Bristol Cathedral.

The chances of a waiting list place coming up at Bristol Cathedral School is very, very low. There is a more realistic chance of a place at the other schools.
I would go on other waiting lists too.
You could consider private (independent) schools as there may be some with spaces and they can offer a place while you are still abroad. It's possible that you may not receive a firm offer of a state school place until you are in the UK.
Some pupils from Bristol go to schools in neighbouring LEAs such as North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.

You have named three of the most over subscribed schools in the city. The chances of getting a place at Cathedral in Y7 are virtually zero I would say. I see what movement does and doesn't happen as my son attends there. The others are also unlikely, do you know what position your child is on their waiting lists? This will help you to know whether it's a massive long shot.

I would suggest looking at independent or asking the admissions authority which schools do have places and go with the least worst option while staying on other waiting lists.

What about Trinity Academy? Very close to Fairfield, same academy trust as Bristol Cathedral

Might be worth enquiring at some of the indies, Queen Elizabeth Hospital School used to have very generous bursaries. Don't know if they still do.

Depending where you are in North Bristol have you considered going out of the city to North Somerset? St Katherine's in Pill takes a number of pupils from Bristol each year and there is a school bus that travels through Bristol to the school.

Even the private schools were full for year 6 going into year 7 this year!!! And also people suggesting to private is ridiculous as they are so expensive!

which school have you been offered?

OP you need to phone admissions to find out more about which Bristol schools still have places available for Y7.
If you had made an on-time application and were resident in Bristol then you would have received an offer on a school place by now.
Late applications are dealt with in a second round with places allocated by June.
It is possible though that you may not be offered a place until you are resident in Bristol or have a definite Bristol address.
Independent schools can offer Y7 places while you are still abroad and hence the suggestion. Bursaries are not usually offered to late applicants though.

OP, are you in catchment for Bristol Free School? www.bristolfreeschool.org.uk/how-to-apply

Snapshot from BFS admissions policy:

IYO, do these waiting lists work? If the case, what is the waiting time frame, are we looking at a 3 month wait? 6 months?

How long is a piece of string? Or rather, when will you move and how close will you be to your preferred schools? Places will be available between now and September for most schools (as some families will give up state school places to go private, or move house), but if you're still abroad you will be relatively low priority. There is no 'first come first served' for state school waiting lists. Look at the oversubscription criteria on their admissions policies. If your new home in Bristol puts you high on their list of criteria then, once you move, you will be near the top of the waiting list and offered a place more quickly than if it isn't.

Where will you be living as those schools are all quite far apart given how tight catchments are.

This school year was quite large from what I've heard so catchments were tiny.

Get on the waiting list for any of the schools you like the look of but your place on the waiting list will be determined by where your house is in relation to the school (apart from Cathedral but places there are like hen's teeth).

Agree to look at Bristol Free School (places are coming up on the waiting list for people in the Area of Prime Admissions), also St Katherine's in Pill is very good with buses from various areas of Bristol and places tend to come up there quite often.

Avoid Blaise High from what I've heard.

St Katherine's is also same academy trust as Cathedral and Trinity but a VERY different school.

Thanks for your responses and recommendations! We'll have to rent a place sooner than we were planning to as to get higher up on the waiting list.

If you can rent a house next door to one of these schools then you will find yourself most likely too of the waiting list and get a place by September.

The exception is BCCS which allocates places by lottery not distance. Do you know where you're planning to live yet? It would be worth considering Bristol Free School and Redland Green School in addition to the ones you've listed.

You need to get an address close to the school you want pdq. That will get you up the list. Except for cathedral, but as others have said, go for trinity if that’s the kind of school ethos you want.

To maximise chances you could rent in between Fairfield and trinity and get on the list for both. I would discount cotham unless you actively hate your child.

@TerrifiedandWorried we're looking at schools for 23 entry. Would you mind sharing your thoughts/experiences of St Katherine's as it's one we're thinking of.

Just go and look. It has a different feeling to it! I know a child with adhd who had a bad experience, I know another child who had a great experience.