Tag Archives: Schools

£15 million plan for Education investment in Bristol

We all want children to have the best opportunities in life, no matter their background. That’s why we’re supporting the opening of new schools and expanding existing ones to make sure we meet the growing demand for school places in Bristol. 

In 2020, we made a commitment to increase spending for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to enable us to expand classroom spaces and improve SEND facilities. Through careful planning, plans to invest another almost £15 million from the Department for Education into SEND schools to create an additional 204 specialist places in Bristol by 2024.

The SEND projects funded through phase two of the council’s Education Capital Programme would lead to major improvements to current special schools and many mainstream schools to meet the needs of more Bristol children, through refurbishment and new builds, including a new Independent Living Centre at the City of Bristol College (Phase 3 of ‘Project Rainbow’).

The photo shows the aerial view of plans for the new school on Daventry road. The photo as houses circling around multiple sports fields at the bottom of the image and 5 main buildings that take up the north part of the site.
Plans for Oasis Academy Daventry Road

We are already making significant investments in our SEND provision with the first phase of our ambitious Education Capital Programme, which is on track to create 142 places by February next year. A new £8.5 million state-of-the-art school, Elmfield School for Deaf Children, is already underway and due for completion around Easter 2023. The new and refurbished school buildings, specifically designed for the sensory needs of deaf children, will be co-located with the adjacent Upper Horfield Community School.

I’m also thrilled that, working in partnership with the Department for Education, two new secondary schools are expected to open in Bristol next year, ready for the new school year in September 2023.

Feasibility works are currently underway to open the new Oasis Academy Daventry Road in temporary accommodation on the existing site of Oasis Academy John Williams in Hengrove from September 2023. The school’s permanent purpose-built school on Daventry Road in Knowle is expected to be completed in September 2024, and work is currently in progress to prepare the site for construction.

The temporary location of the new Oasis Academy Temple Quarter secondary school has also recently been announced. The new school will be based temporarily on Spring Street in Bedminster while the permanent, purpose-built school is constructed on Silverthorne Lane. Feasibility works including surveys are currently underway at the Spring Street site ahead of an expected opening in September 2023. 

The photo shows plans for Oasis Academy Temple Quarter school building. There is a road running from bottom right across the bottom of the image, with the main building sitting in the centre. On the right there is a brick archway leading to a car park.
Plans for Oasis Academy Temple Quarter

The council owns the site on Spring Street and is already leasing a small separate section of it to Help Bristol’s Homeless, a charity who support homeless people in our city. Once the school has opened in Temple Quarter, Goram Homes will progress its plans to build much needed affordable homes on the Spring Street site. A regeneration framework for the area around Whitehouse Street is currently being prepared and this will be used to help shape future planning applications for the site, alongside further consultation and engagement with the community.

The permanent site of Oasis Academy Temple Quarter on Silverthorne Lane was granted planning permission in April 2022. The school’s permanent building is expected to be completed in September 2025, and work is currently underway preparing the site for construction.

If you have a child that was born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012, you will be able to apply for a secondary school place at Oasis Academy Daventry Road and Oasis Academy Temple Quarter from 12 September 2022.

Oasis Community Learning will be hosting events for families to find out more about the new schools and how they can apply for a place throughout September and October 2022. Applications in the first year will be managed directly by Oasis Community Learning.

The image shows a sketch of the Oasis Academy Temple Quarter building, it has trees and buildings surrounding it on either side.
Sketch of Oasis Academy Temple Quarter

To find out more:

  • Oasis Academy Daventry Road
  • Oasis Academy Temple Quarter

GCSE and Level Two VTQ Results Day

Congratulations to all the young people who have received their GCSE and Level Two VTQ (Vocational Technical Qualifications) results today (25 August).

Results day can be a very exciting but very stressful time, especially when the past two years haven’t been easy.

With home schooling and virtual learning playing a significant part in your education due to national lockdowns, you have had to overcome some unusual obstacles during the last few years. I hope you take the time to celebrate and recognise what you have achieved.

If you didn’t get the results you were hoping for, don’t give up! These results are just the beginning.

Marvin is sat on the right of the image with the pupil on the left of him. The pupil is holding a book that Marvin is pointing at. Behind them both is a light brown bookcase full of books.
Marvin reading with a pupil on a school visit

I ended up getting five Cs and a D in GCSEs myself, but I didn’t let that knock me back and through hard work I was able to eventually go to university. No matter the outcome of today, you can still do well in the future. There are many different options available to young people. You may wish to start a vocational course or continue to study towards A-Levels, while others may step into the working world through an apprenticeship. It may take you time to decide your path and that is also ok.

If you didn’t get the results you were hoping for or you need help or advice around exam results and next steps, you can contact the National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline on 0800 100 900. The free helpline is now open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. For mental health support and information, please visit www.youngminds.org.uk.

There is information available about Post 16 pathways and options on the Post 16 Participation website www.bristolesl.com/bristolpost16. Or you can contact Bristol City Council’s Post 16 Participation team on post16participation@bristol.gov.uk or 01173525750.

The Post 16 Participation team are also running an event on Wednesday 31 August from 1-3:30pm at The Station on Silver Street (BS1 2AG), where you can get advice on what to do next and join in with CV and interview skills workshops. More information here – www.bristolesl.com/bristolpost16/2022/08/step-to-future-post-exam-result-event/.

To the older people reading this, I would like to echo what I said in my A-level blog. Now that we are living with COVID-19, it doesn’t mean that we have seen the end of the impact that the pandemic has had on the education of our young people, and it is important that we continue to support them following these difficult times.