Families across Bristol offered their secondary school places

Today (1 March) on National Offer Day, families in Bristol will receive offers of secondary school places across the city. All families who applied to Bristol schools will be offered a place.

This year 4,983 applications were received – compared to 4,900 in 2018.

90.6% of families have been offered one of their top three preferences and 71.6% have been offered their first choice. This is very similar to the percentages in 2018 which were 90% and 71% respectively.

This year some parents will also receive offers for the new CST Trinity Academy which opens in September in Lockleaze. As this is a new school offers are being made direct by Cathedral Schools Trust, which will operate the school. These parents will be able to decide which school offer they accept.

Councillor Anna Keen, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said:

“This is another year where we have seen more children than ever before looking for places in Bristol. This is a good indication of our improving reputation as a Learning City and good evidence of the fruits from our work as a partnership to improve standards across the city.

“I am pleased that we have been able to offer so many families their first choice this year. With a vast increase in numbers of applications for secondary schools predicted as the city’s population increases we are aware that we are facing a challenge in order to make sure we can still provide right places for the children of Bristol. We are currently working hard to make sure the city has the right number of places in the right areas for this increase in the future.”

Currently 75% of Bristol’s secondary schools are classed as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED, compared to 2013 when it was around 68%. Nationally the comparison is around 75%.

Some families (9.4%) did not receive one of their preferred schools. The majority of families applied for schools which allocate places by random allocation, are outside Bristol, or are faith schools.

Parents will receive emails with offers throughout the morning on 1 March and are advised to check their spam filter if they have not received an email by 12pm.

Anyone not receiving an offer for their preferred school will be provided with information about how to stay on the waiting list and the appeals process.

For more information about the offers process visit: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/schools-learning-early-years/secondary-admissions.