Best Schools in Bristol

How many schools are there in Bristol?

Bristol has 327 open schools: 219 state primary, 56 state secondary or all-through, 11 independent, 24 special and 17 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bristol are rated Outstanding?

31 schools in Bristol were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: LPW Independent School, Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Culverhill School, New Siblands School, Beacon Rise Primary School and 26 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 246 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

LPW Independent SchoolChrist Church Church of England Primary SchoolCulverhill SchoolNew Siblands SchoolBeacon Rise Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bristol get the best GCSE results?

Of the 50 schools in Bristol with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bristol Free School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.3 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Redland Green School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.9 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and E-ACT Montpelier High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.6 and 61% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bristol Free SchoolRedland Green SchoolE-ACT Montpelier High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bristol have the best SATs results?

Of the 194 primary schools in Bristol with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Pensford Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Elmlea Junior School (96% in reading, 96% in maths); and Westbury Park School (93% in reading, 98% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Pensford Primary SchoolElmlea Junior SchoolWestbury Park School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bristol?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bristol selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Bristol?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bath and North East Somerset published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Chew Magna Primary School, 2.883 miles for 2026 entry; Chew Stoke Church School, 2.749 miles for 2026 entry; Chew Valley School, 4.375 miles for 2026 entry; Clutton Primary School, 2.364 miles for 2026 entry; Lift Broadlands, 2.299 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 8 schools in Bristol; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Chew Magna Primary SchoolChew Stoke Church SchoolChew Valley SchoolClutton Primary SchoolLift Broadlands

Source: Bath and North East Somerset admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Bristol?

Apply to your council - Bristol, City of; South Gloucestershire; or North Somerset, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.