Primary additional places update

This page provides updates to parents about additional primary school places.  We will update this page every Thursday by 5pm with any updated information.  If there isn't an update we’ll post a statement here to let you know.

Please note that the document primary additional places update (pdf, 36 KB) is an archive of older news from this page.

News updates

Thursday April 26

Offers of reception places were made to on-time applicants on April 20. 95% of applicants received an offer of one of their preference schools. In areas where people were unable to receive any of their preferences, we are working with schools to try to secure more places. Any additional places will initially be allocated to those who made an on-time application for the school.

Responses to the offers sent out on April 20 should be returned on the form enclosed with the offer letter by May 4.

Thursday April 19

No update.

Thursday April 5

Go-ahead for extra places at Southville Primary
Southville Primary School will be able to provide 30 extra places for reception children from September. The school will double its admission number to 60, for one year only, thanks to a range of improvement works. 

Planned improvements include an extension to the front of the school, with the current staffroom and office being returned to classroom use. A former caretaker’s house, at 2 Milford Street, will be used as a resource base for teaching small groups, meeting space and the site manager’s office, with the garden available for school use. Work is subject to planning consent.

Thursday March 29

No update.

Thursday March 15

Bristol City Council has just purchased a new site in North Bristol to develop for much needed primary school places in the area.  A former scout hut and land next to playing fields on Beauchamp Road has been purchased to provide the places at Bishop Road Primary School. 

Bristol City Council is now drawing up expansion plans with the school for 30 extra reception places from September - taking it to four forms of entry.    The Governors of Bishop Road Primary School have worked closely with Bristol City Council to help find a solution to filling the gap in available primary school places in the North Bristol area, whilst ensuring that they can maintain their outstanding standard of education provision. 

The 1,400 square metre site was purchased for £300,000 and includes 380 square metres of a single storey building that was used as a scout hut.

Thursday March 8

Bristol City Council has now completed the purchase of Redland Police Station. This means that St John’s Primary School can now move ahead with plans for an extra 30 reception children to start at the school in September. Over time, as children move through the school, there will be a total of 210 new primary school places created for children in this area of Bristol.

Options are being considered on the existing school site for the new intake of children this September, while construction work on the new school buildings at the lower Redland site is underway. This includes possible adaptation of existing buildings.

During consultation with local residents, concerns were raised about the impact of increasing the size of St John’s Primary School on traffic and parking in the area. As designs for the lower Redland site are developed, close attention will be paid to measures that make it safe and easy for families with young children to walk to and from school.

Thursday February 23

An erroneous article recently appeared in The Independent about the possibility of children in a school in Bristol being taught in converted sheds.  This article referred to Southville Primary School  and the school would like to draw attention to this error. In fact an option is being investigated to remove some small buildings ('the sheds') and to replace them with classrooms for children.  For reference the article can be found at www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/primary-school-classes-could-be-taught-in-sheds-7216670.html?origin=internalSearch

Thursday February 9 and 16

No updates.

Thursday February 2

Planning approval has recently been given to expand Air Balloon Hill Primary School. Phase 1 of the scheme will see a new 12 classroom block at the rear of the school, which will accommodate Early Years and some older children.

The remaining application for changes to the listed buildings is expected soon and this work would be included in phase 2 which also includes a link corridor to the new building. It is anticipated that subject to planning permission this phase will be completed by Easter 2013. 

A new school playing field will be created on Marling Road on the site of former allotment land.

Thursday January 26

Work is continuing to ensure that schools are able to offer the additional places planned for September 2012. 

Hannah More school

You may recall that during the Autumn Hannah More School announced plans to put classrooms on the roof as part of a scheme to double the size of the current school. Planning permission has now been granted and contracts are due to be signed in the next few weeks.

Six rooms are set to go on the flat roof behind the Victorian facade of the single-storey school. They will be prefabricated off site and installed by crane during the school holidays to minimise disruption to lessons.

The scheme will allow the school to double in size to 420 places, providing the extra classes needed without losing valuable outdoor learning and play space.

The plans also include a kitchen for the sports hall, which was built in 2006, and alterations to add an extra floor inside the school hall.

Admission arrangements for 2013

Admission arrangements for 2013 are currently being consulted on

Thursday January 12

Two schools offering additional places will be developing facilities on split sites:  Filton Avenue Infants will be running a site at Orchard School and St John's will be running a site a Redland Police Station site.

You may be interested in reading about the latest Ofsted report on Ashley Down Primary School who already run a split site school.