Educational landscape is changing

Education in North West Bristol is facing a changing landscape as two new schools, St Ursula`s E-ACT Academy and the Bristol Free School, welcome their first pupils and Henleaze Juniors opt out of local authority control to become an academy.

For St Ursula`s, a new primary academy on the Brecon Road site, and the Free School - which failed to gain government approval to share the site - there is the challenge of establishing their reputations with local parents and filling their classrooms.
 

St Ursulas`s E-ACT Academy

The new St Ursula`s E-ACT Academy have a full complement of 60 in their two-class reception year and there is a waiting list. Years 1 and 2 are also full but there are many places still available for years 3 to 6 as the new school builds numbers.

The Principal, Lynette Carter, says there has been huge interest from prospective parents since the school opened. Two hundred came to the first open day. Weekly open evenings regularly attract up to 25 parents. "We realise we are the new school on the block and have to win confidence" says Mrs Carter. "It will take a little longer to show what we can do. But we are already flabbergasted at the progress our new reception children are making" she said.

New teaching staff - only one from the old St Ursula`s was hired - are encouraged to "teach children according to their developmental stage rather than age". She acknowledges that some parents might opt for the well established Henleaze Junior School in what is now a competitive environment.

But she added:"We have to build our own track record and parents will make their choice. But we know we have much to offer".
 

Henleaze Juniors become an academy

Meanwhile, just up the road at Henleaze Juniors, head Adam Barber says they decided to become an academy - therefore gaining control of their own funding - to "stay ahead of the game and be able to shape the future of education in the city".

"We believe academy status will give us greater freedom to deliver outstanding education as well as working with other schools in Bristol" he says. The strong links with the other schools on the site - Henleaze Infants and Claremont Special School - will continue.

Mr Barber recognises that the changing landscape of local education means more parental choice. But adds: "We are proud of what we offer and confident that people will like what they see when they come to the school". He acknowledges, though, that what suits one child may not suit all, and different families may be looking for different things in a school.

One scenario where the Junior School recognises difficulties for parents is when a family with younger children is seeking places at the same school. With the infants school on the same site (still under local authority control) regularly oversubscribed, and only a few places available in the Junior School, classes for all the family might not be possible.

Mr Barber does point out it is a "popular misconception" that his school never has spare places. "We usually have two or three places available in most year groups" he says.
 

Bristol Free School

Children from both St Ursula`s Academy and Henleaze Juniors now have another school joining the competition for secondary provision in the area. Bristol Free School have now settled permanently at Burghill Road in Brentry.

Initially disappointed at not getting Government approval to share the St Ursula`s site - planning objections and cost played against them - BFS are now going full steam ahead to make a success of the much bigger Brentry site.

Chair of Governors Blair King says: "Although the site was not our first choice it has a lot going for it in terms of extra space and access to public transport. We are making the most of where we are". "We will still serve the same primary catchment area of Henleaze, Westbury on Trym and Stoke Bishop".

Eighty percent of their intake will come from the primary area and the other 20 percent mainly from Southmead. The school filled only 80 of the available 150 places in their first year but are convinced those numbers will go up in subsequent years as the school becomes established. Five hundred interested parents attended open days.

Some parents who had campaigned for the St Ursula`s site sent their children elsewhere. But Mr King says others who were initially negative, have "had their fears removed" on seeing the site. The school are considering increasing the yearly intake to 180 which could put total school numbers up to 900 if a 6th Form is added.

It looks like the educational landscape will continue changing as competition flourishes and parent choice has the potential to keep standards high.