Clifton High School

Since September 2024, Will Phelan BA PGCE MBA, who has returned to his home city of Bristol after serving as principal of Stamford Endowed Schools in Lincolnshire since 2016. Before that, he was head of Stamford School for five years. He has had

The expectation is that any child entering the nursery (the hive) should be able to access all parts of the EYFS curriculum, progress into reception, through the junior school and on to the senior school. Informal academic assessments take place in

Tiny numbers if any at year 6, and a handful post GCSE in search of greater freedom, minority A level choices or possibly beefier Oxbridge preparation. Most sixth formers go on to university – a mix of Russell Group and others; occasional Oxbridge

In 2024, 57 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 31 per cent A*/A grades at A level (60 per cent A*-B).

Historically not the most academic star in the galaxy of Bristol schools, but this school is – as it says regularly and often – all about realising individual brilliance. One mother told us how well it had supported both her children who were ‘at

Hugely experienced department, boasting two dyslexia specialists, a qualified exam access assessor and strong EAL support. The game plan though is to get students to access the curriculum independently through tools (technology changing text to

A pretty vibrant scene. On the day of our visit, year 6 were enthusiastically rehearsing songs from Annie under the baton of the supercharged head of music; the art of performance is central to the school’s offer from the beginning, and even the

School’s compact city campus does not have room for endless rugby/football/hockey pitches, but it does have a floodlit MUGA (aka a multi-use games area) for court sports, a gym, gorgeous dance studio and – amazingly – a 25m pool on site. Swimming is

Both students and parents feel that there is always someone to go to with any difficulties in school life, be they academic or otherwise, one mother describing the pastoral care as ‘fantastic’. Teachers are reckoned to be approachable and will

Families come from surrounding villages, as well as from across Bristol; the school runs and collaborates in transport arrangements with other Bristol independent schools with three routes coming in from the south and one from the north. ‘Parents

Fees are at the more reasonable end of day fees, but there is no boarding infrastructure to support. Lunch is paid for separately; no option to take a packed lunch before sixth form. Most clubs and activities are included, unless taught by an

Clifton High is at last realising its own individual brilliance by offering something rather different from the other independents in Clifton. It appears to get the best out of everyone who goes there without ‘constantly hunting exam results’, in the