The most difficult secondary schools in Bristol to get a place for your child
Some families were turned away from their preferred schools despite living in the catchment area
by Yvonne Deeney · BristolLiveIn 2024 many secondary schools in Bristol were oversubscribed and got far more applicants than they could admit. Despite two new schools admitting pupils and several offering places beyond their normal capacity, some schools had to turn away pupils living within the catchment area.
Most schools offer the majority of places to pupils who live in the ‘first priority area’, offering the first places to pupils who live closest to the school. These children will be offered spaces after children with an Education, Health and Care Plan, adopted children or those in care or previously in care and siblings of existing pupils living within the catchment area are given a place.
If there are still places available after all these have been filled then children who live outside the ‘first priority area’ will be considered with those living closest to the school selected first. Some schools who operate under the standard geographical selection criteria may also have additional selection criteria such as priority for siblings of children who live outside of the school’s catchment area and children of staff members.
A number of schools in Bristol operate under a completely different selection criteria which means there may be no priority given to children who live closest to the school. These schools select children according to their individual policy set out on their website after they have met their legal obligation to provide places for children classed as ‘looked after’ and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Below is information on the schools which were oversubscribed in 2024 and the breakdown of figures
Bristol Cathedral Choir School
Total number of places: 150
Total number of applications: 1031
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference:282
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 8
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care (Looked After Children): 11
Children who are probationer choristers at The Cathedral:8
Children who qualified as Music Specialists:15
Children of staff: 2
Children who are at the named Feeder School: 56
Children with a sibling on roll at BCCS at the time of admission:35
Children who live between the Bristol postcodes of BS1-BS16: 16
Children living outside of the BS1-BS16 postcodes: 0
Redland Green School
Total number of places: 232
Total number of applications: 844
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference:379
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 9
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 9
Children living in the first, second or joint priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 83
Children living in the first priority area: 131
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 0.824 km.
Cotham School
Total number of places: 243
Total number of applications: 751
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 157
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 3
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 22
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 11
Children of staff: 0
Children living in the first priority area: 59
Children living outside the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 60
Children living outside the first priority area: 127
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 4.138km
Looking for Bristol Parenting top stories in one place? Sign up for our newsletter here.
Fairfield School
Total number of places: 216
Total number of applications: 649
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 221
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 10
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 2
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 52
Children living in the first priority area: 106
Children of staff: 2
Children living outside the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 26
Children living outside the first priority area: 18
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 1.1202 km.
Bristol Brunel Academy
Total number of places: 232
Total number of applications: 623
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 293
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 8
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 4
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 85
Children living in the first priority area: 135
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 1.303 km.
Trinity Academy
Total number of places: 180
Total number of applications: 621
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 239
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 7
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care (Looked After Children): 0
Children who qualified as music specialists: 18
Children who are at the named Feeder School: 24 places
Children with a sibling on roll at Trinity Academy: 64
Children who are a son/daughter of a member of staff at Trinity Academy: 0
Children who live within the inner priority area who were randomly allocated: 49
Children who live in the outer priority area who were randomly allocated: 18
Children who live out of the priority areas who live closest to the school as measured in a direct line from the home address to the school: 0
Bristol Free School
Total number of places: 225
Total number of applications: 580
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 294
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 4
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 2
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 82
Children of staff: 2
Children living in the first and second priority areas: 27 and 108
Children living outside thepriority areas who have a sibling already attending the school: 11
Children living outside the first priority area: 6
Oasis Academy Brislington
Total number of places: 270
Total number of applications: 453
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 280
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 11
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 3
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 94
Children admitted on appropriate medical grounds: 0
Children living closest to the school: 162
The furthest distance offered a place under this criterion was 2.263 km
Bristol Metropolitan Academy
Total number of places: 216
Total number of applications: 549
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 281
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 3
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 4
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 73
Children living in the first priority area: 136
Children living outside the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 11
Children living outside the first priority area: 6
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 1.409 km
Oasis Academy John Williams
Total number of places: 180
Total number of applications: 470
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference:172
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 5
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 1
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 58
Children living in the first priority area: 83
Children living outside the first priority area: 33
The furthest distance offered a place under this criteria was 2.258 km
Ashton Park
Total number of places: 224
Total number of applications: 435
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference: 227
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 6
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 2
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 45
Children living in the first priority area: 154
Children living outside the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 11
Children living outside the first priority area: 6
The furthest distance offered a place under this criteria was 2.159 km. Letter
Orchard School
Total number of places: 230
Total number of applications: 375
Number of applications choosing school as a first preference:144
Breakdown of places offered in order of the school’s priority criteria:
Places given to children with an Education, Health and Care Plan: 5
Places given to adopted children or those in care or previously in care: 0
Children living in the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school:30
Children living in the first priority area: 72
Children living outside the first priority area who have a sibling already attending the school: 30
Children living outside the first priority area: 73
The furthest distance offered a place in this category was 4.046km.
Bristol Live WhatsApp Breaking News and Top Stories
Join Bristol Live’s WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone
Bristol Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community.
St. Bede’s Catholic College, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary and St Mary Redcliffe & Temple School were also listed as oversubscribed. The exact figures and breakdown of the numbers are published on the Bristol City Council website.
The following schools in Bristol were not listed as oversubscribed in 2024: Bedminister Down School, Blaise High School, Bridge Learning Campus, E-ACT Merchants Academy (new name), E-ACT Montpelier (new name), Oasis Academy Brightstowe, Oasis Academy Daventry Road (new school), Oasis Academy Temple Quarter (new school), City Academy Bristol.