Ages 
Surely the most grounded independent school in Bristol and tackling its complex history head on, Collegiate manages the apparent contradiction between all students achieving all they are capable of, yet not making it all about grades. Proud yet unpretentious, insisting on high standards of behaviour and appearance yet accepting of all backgrounds, this school is, according to one parent, ‘too modest and undersells itself’. Time to step into the spotlight now that it has shed the Colston name but retains the best parts of his legacy?
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Unlike other websites, schools can't pay to be included in The Good Schools Guide. This means our review of this school is independent, critical and fair, and written with parents' best interests at heart.
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 789 ·
- Sixth form numbers
- 142 ·
- Religion
- None
- Fees
- £20,055 pa
- Local authority
- Bristol City Council
- Area guides
- Linked schools
- School ownership
- Limited company
Headteacher
Headmaster
Mr Jeremy McCullough
Since 2014, Jeremy McCullough MA (Oxon) PGCE. Educated at a Nottingham comprehensive with a degree in chemistry from Oxford, he switched to maths for his PGCE at Cambridge, the springboard to an impressive trajectory of schools, starting with Bishop
Entrance
Selective, but not intensely so. Main entry point is at year 7 via assessments in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning held in January each year, preceded by a visit and taster day for those not coming from the lower school, about half the
- Open days
- Please see website for open events
Exit
About a quarter leave after GCSEs, generally for more vocational courses but some come back, one mother told us. About 70 per cent of sixth formers straight to university, the most popular choices being Bournemouth, Hartpury, Exeter, Warwick,
Latest results
In 2024, 46 per cent A*/A at A level (78 per cent A*-B). In 2023, 58 per cent 9-7 at GCSE (school has not provided 2024 GCSE results).
A levels or equivalent - Average points score (2024)
What is this?
These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.
Teaching & learning
Subjects are organised by faculty. Fine detail about precisely what’s on the curriculum below GCSE is not easy to find and perhaps bears out what the head says about this school being about so much more than academics. Still, core subjects and
- Qualifications taken in 2024
- A level
- BTEC
- EPQ
- GCSE
Learning support & SEN
Careful assessment at entry - all are screened including their ability to touch-type, and some are even seen in their existing setting to check that the school can meet their needs. ‘We should be able to support a range of needs’, the head of
Arts & extracurricular
Grease was the word at the time of our visit, with lively song and dance rehearsals taking place in both the gorgeous Chatterton Hall – the school’s concert venue – and in the theatre with its retractable raked seating. Dual casting means greater
Sport
Among the best in Bristol and beyond, with the advantage of 30 acres of pitches on site, unlike so many city schools. Seven pitches, netball and tennis courts and Astro on levelled ground run down to the river forming one boundary of the school; not
Ethos & heritage
Ethos a lot less complicated than heritage. This is a school where - to quote students - ‘people are people rather than machines, and where wellbeing is not sacrificed for the sake of exams’. We heard of a few cases where youngsters who were flailing
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
Very highly rated and the reason why some parents choose the school; it pervades the school’s ethos. Effective liaison between the school, parents and outside therapists as necessary make the lives of young people struggling with life inside and
Mobile phone policy
A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.
Mobile phone policy
Provided by the school and not part of our review Collegiate School recognises that mobile phones are now an important aspect of everyone's life and have considerable value, particularly in relation to individual safety. However, the consequences of the misuse of mobile phones can be very serious. The school therefore accepts that pupils are permitted to bring mobile phones to the school but that their use is restricted.
Pupils & parents
Much more diverse ethnically and economically than many independent schools. ‘We have parents who have multiple Ferraris and some who drive taxis,’ the head cheerfully admitted, ‘but they are supportive, engaged and value an all-round education’. We
Money matters
Fees exclude lunches and exam fees. Discounts given for siblings and for the offspring of Old Colstonians who spent over five years at the school. Scholarships max out at 15 per cent of fees and are awarded at year 7 and year 12 for academics, art,
- Fee information
- £20,055 pa
The last word
Surely the most grounded independent school in Bristol and tackling its complex history head on, Collegiate manages the apparent contradiction between all students achieving all they are capable of, yet not making it all about grades. Proud yet
