The hardest schools to get into in Bristol, City of
Secondary: 214 families put Bristol Cathedral Choir School first in 2026 and 120 of them (56%) were offered a place.
Reception: 91 families put Avanti Gardens School first in 2026 and 57 of them (63%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Bristol, City of with at least 20 first-choice applicants, hardest first. Of the families who put the school first on their application, the share who were offered a place there. Data: Department for Education.
Secondary schools (Year 7)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol Cathedral Choir School · Bristol · faith | 214 | 120 (56%) | 141 |
| 2 | Bristol Free School · Bristol | 300 | 189 (63%) | 218 |
| 3 | Redland Green School · Bristol | 337 | 223 (66%) | 225 |
| 4 | St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School · Bristol · faith | 277 | 198 (72%) | 207 |
| 5 | Trinity Academy · Bristol | 213 | 157 (74%) | 170 |
| 6 | St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School · Bristol · faith | 171 | 132 (77%) | 141 |
| 7 | St Bede's Catholic College · Bristol · faith | 251 | 197 (79%) | 204 |
| 8 | Ashton Park School · Bristol | 254 | 204 (80%) | 213 |
| 9 | Bristol Metropolitan Academy · Bristol | 231 | 187 (81%) | 205 |
| 10 | Bristol Brunel Academy · Bristol | 248 | 210 (85%) | 226 |
| 11 | Oasis Academy Temple Quarter · Bristol | 102 | 92 (90%) | 119 |
| 12 | E-ACT Montpelier High School · Bristol | 137 | 124 (91%) | 145 |
| 13 | Oasis Academy Brightstowe · Bristol | 85 | 84 (99%) | 107 |
| 14 | Cotham School · Bristol | 160 | 159 (99%) | 247 |
| 15 | Oasis Academy Brislington · Bristol | 204 | 204 (100%) | 224 |
| 16 | Bedminster Down School · Bristol | 157 | 157 (100%) | 203 |
| 17 | Oasis Academy John Williams · Bristol | 152 | 152 (100%) | 177 |
| 18 | Fairfield High School · Bristol | 148 | 148 (100%) | 204 |
| 19 | The City Academy Bristol · Bristol | 127 | 127 (100%) | 174 |
| 20 | Orchard School Bristol · Bristol | 121 | 121 (100%) | 175 |
| 21 | Oasis Academy Daventry Road · Bristol | 114 | 114 (100%) | 135 |
| 22 | Blaise High School · Bristol | 112 | 112 (100%) | 176 |
| 23 | E-ACT Bristol Academy South · Bristol | 112 | 112 (100%) | 123 |
| 24 | Bridge Learning Campus · Bristol | 78 | 78 (100%) | 83 |
Primary schools (Reception)
Getting into a school in Bristol, City of
What is the hardest school to get into in Bristol, City of?
For secondary places, 214 families put Bristol Cathedral Choir School first in 2026 and 120 of them (56%) were offered a place. For Reception, 91 families put Avanti Gardens School first and 57 of them (63%) were offered a place.
How many families in Bristol, City of get their first-choice school?
84.0% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 92.0% of those applying for Reception did (offers for September 2026).
Does putting a school first improve our chances?
Not at the other schools you name. Councils in England use an equal-preference system: every school you list is considered against its own admissions criteria, and if more than one could offer a place you get the one you ranked highest. So list schools in your genuine order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get.
What does "last distance offered" mean?
For schools that give places by distance, it is how far from the school the last child offered a place under that criterion lived. It changes every year with the number and location of applicants, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. We show it where Bristol, City of published it in its admissions booklet.