St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School Review 2026: A Legacy of Excellence in Bristol's Heart

When Queen Elizabeth I granted her royal charter on 30 June 1571, few could have imagined that St Mary Redcliffe would survive and thrive for nearly 450 years. Today, this Church of England comprehensive sits in the heart of Bristol, just metres from the magnificent Gothic church that shares its name, serving nearly 1,800 students from across the city and beyond. The January 2025 Ofsted inspection rated the school Good across all areas, recognising pupils' strong achievements, their polite and courteous conduct, and their engagement with a comprehensive curriculum designed around the school's distinctive "Alive" values. With an average Attainment 8 score of 51.7 and nearly 40 A-level subjects on offer, the school ranks in the solid middle tier in England, making it a popular choice for families seeking academic rigour grounded in Christian values and genuine diversity.

The Gothic spire of St Mary Redcliffe Church dominates the view as you approach Somerset Square, and this proximity shapes everything about the school's identity. The building itself blends modernist extensions from the 1960s with the substantial 2010 rebuild funded through the Building Schools for the Future programme, creating a campus that manages to feel both rooted in history and contemporary in outlook. Inside, the atmosphere is purposeful but warm. Students move purposefully between lessons; conversations are respectful; the diverse student body, with a significant proportion speaking languages other than English at home, is visible throughout corridors and classrooms.

Headteacher Del Planter, who took the helm in September 2022 from Ashton Park School, has brought renewed energy to a school that was previously judged Outstanding in 2015. His commitment is evident in the school's ambitious "Alive" curriculum, which has been painstakingly developed around four core values: Safe Boundaries, Good Relationships, Empowered Learning, and values-based personal development. These are not slogans; they permeate teaching, pastoral structures, and daily interactions. Teachers invest heavily in knowing each student as a whole person. Support for vulnerable pupils, including refugee families and those facing challenging circumstances, is embedded into school culture, not treated as an afterthought.

The five house system (Müller for Year 7, then Johnson, Franklin, Liddell, and Equiano for Years 8–11) provides identity and continuity. The renaming of houses in 2019 to honour figures like Rosalind Franklin, Katherine Johnson, Eric Liddell, and Olaudah Equiano speaks to the school's commitment to celebrating diverse role models and challenging historical blind spots. The church itself serves as more than a symbol; it is genuinely integrated into school life as a performance venue, place of worship, and assembly hall, creating a unique partnership between educational institution and religious community.

GCSE Performance

St Mary Redcliffe's GCSE outcomes place it squarely in the middle band in England. The school achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 51.7 in 2024, below the England average of 45.9, reflecting a cohort where students arrive with mixed starting points. The Progress 8 score of +0.24 indicates that students make slightly above-average progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4, a more meaningful measure of added value than raw attainment. Some 57% of pupils achieved grades 5 and above in English and maths, the standard measure of GCSE success. The school ranks 1506th in England (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the typical performance band, the middle 35% of schools, rather than the elite tier. This reflects the school's non-selective intake and its commitment to educating all ability levels.

The English Baccalaureate (sciences, languages, history/geography, English, maths) is increasingly pursued. The school's inclusion and support systems mean that pupils with identified additional needs receive tailored support, though the Ofsted inspection identified that adaptations are not yet consistently embedded in all lessons.

A-Level Performance

The sixth form paints a stronger picture. Nearly 40 A-level subjects are on offer, providing genuine breadth. The A*–B pass rate stands at 58%, approaching the England average of 47%, suggesting that advanced level students are performing well. The sixth form Centre, located on Redcliff Hill with capacity for 682 students, attracts approximately two-thirds of its cohort from other schools, making it a genuine sixth form college serving the wider Bristol area. This creates a unique dynamic: about one-third progress internally from Year 11, while two-thirds arrive new, bringing fresh perspectives and wider experience. The school's A-level ranking places it at 821st in England (FindMySchool ranking), again in the typical performance band.

Destinations

In the most recent cohort for which data is available, 35% of leavers progressed to university, with 7% entering further education, 4% apprenticeships, and 32% employment. The school achieved 12 Oxbridge acceptances (9 to Oxford, 3 to Cambridge), a respectable figure for a comprehensive state school serving a diverse urban intake.

The school's curriculum is built around its "Alive" framework, which has been developed through years of iteration to map what students learn and when. This is ambitious work, avoiding both the extremes of rigid traditional curricula and vague permissiveness. Teachers use deliberate strategies, demonstration, questioning, dialogue, to help students remember and apply learning. Inspectors specifically noted strong teaching in art, where pupils carefully apply techniques like shade and tone in still life work.

The tutor reading programme is a notable strength. All pupils read collectively from a broad range of texts; the school checks systematically to understand individual reading needs (securing phonics for early readers, fostering love of books for stronger ones) and adjusts accordingly. The commitment to reading literacy across the school is rare and valuable.

In KS3, most classes are mixed ability; setting is used only for maths, with some banding in modern languages. French and Spanish alternate up to Year 9, at which point pupils study both languages. This approach balances the benefits of inclusive mixed-ability teaching with targeted support for differing pace and pitch.

Challenges remain, and Ofsted was forthright: assessment information is not always used effectively to help students understand next steps for improvement, and strategies to support students with SEND are not consistently embedded in all lessons. These are areas the school is actively working to refine.

Beyond the Classroom section is the school's longest and best-developed area. Music is particularly strong. The dedicated music facilities include a computer room, soundproof practice rooms with pianos, a recording studio (primarily used by Years 11–13), and a recital room featuring a grand piano, drums, and percussion. Regular ensembles and timetabled music sessions form the backbone of provision. The annual Christmas production draws on these resources, combining drama, music, and technical expertise.

Drama is flourishing. The school operates a dedicated drama studio with professional lighting and sound, capable of hosting productions ranging from small rehearsals to full-scale performances. GCSE Drama is taken by a cohort who engage in deep study of theatre practitioners (including Stanislavski), with performances externally examined by AQA examiners visiting the school. The school emphasises that drama is accessible, "every student has access to achieve their full potential", and LSAs work closely with students requiring additional support. Rehearsals happen after school and during lunchtimes for upcoming performances, with students receiving one-to-one feedback from teachers.

Art and Design Technology are well-resourced through the 2010 rebuild. The school's art teaching includes specialist photography facilities. The school's art education is supported by meaningful public art commission, in 2010–11, the school worked with Arnolfini (Bristol's leading contemporary arts organisation) and photographer Martin Parr to create a series of permanent and temporary artworks reflecting the school's life. Parr shot over 12–18 months and created a large frieze for the four-storey atrium, a giant photo work for the outdoor "avenue" space, and a digital display at the entrance.

Beyond ensemble work, the school offers clubs reflecting student interest. The clubs and activities list changes termly and includes named offerings such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, which regularly sees students completing Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Subject-based enrichment includes Maths Olympiad participation, history extension work, and science extension clubs.

The school emphasises that extracurricular activities are "designed to fully represent the diverse range of culture and interests" within the student body. This is not tokenistic; it reflects Bristol's genuine diversity and the school's commitment to making every student see themselves represented.

The school is not particularly known for sport, though this is something the head has identified as a priority area for development. On-site facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a sports hall, a gym, a floodlit 3G astroturf pitch (available to Years 8–11 at break and lunch), and outdoor basketball and tennis courts (available to Year 7 at break and lunch). For double PE lessons, the school uses the South Bristol Sports Centre, providing access to fuller football, rugby, hockey, and athletics programmes than could be accommodated on site.

The school runs compulsory PE. Sport represents a smaller proportion of student identity than music and creative arts, but the facilities and access arrangements ensure all students can access activity.

The Redcliffe Sixth Form Centre, which opened in 2004 on a separate Redcliff Hill site, houses approximately 682 students. Its position as a larger-than-average sixth form is significant: it draws from the school's own Year 11 intake but also attracts around two-thirds from other schools across Bristol, creating a genuinely mixed community of new entrants and existing students. This requires careful pastoral management, which the inspection confirmed is strong. Transition mentors from each feeder school are assigned to help new Year 12 students; subject mentors support academic engagement; and year tutors provide pastoral continuity.

The sixth form operates with different physical spaces (lessons scattered between the Redcliff Hill site and the main school, where science labs, design technology, music recording facilities, and computers are located), but this is acknowledged and managed through the timetable. Students report enjoying a "welcoming and accessible atmosphere" that balances "academic excellence" with space for extracurricular pursuits. The school offers nearly 40 A-level subjects and builds the timetable to accommodate flexible subject combinations, changing the subject matrix annually based on student applications.

The school is unique in the Diocese of Bristol as a rare Church of England voluntary aided secondary school. Admissions operate on a non-selective, comprehensive basis, but with specific criteria. Entry is prioritised for looked-after children and those with EHCPs naming the school. Beyond that, places are allocated according to: church attendance, distance from the school, and sibling links. However, the school sets aside a small number of places (with no church requirement) for families of other faiths or those living within 500 metres of the school, ensuring some accessibility regardless of church connection.

The school is oversubscribed, consistently attracting 3–4 times more applications than places available. This means that most pupils enter through the distance criterion, requiring families to live relatively close to Somerset Square. Unlike many schools, there is no formal catchment boundary; instead, places are allocated by distance to the school gates. This creates a dispersed catchment across greater Bristol and beyond, drawing from a wider demographic than a traditional catchment-based school might.

For sixth form entry, the school welcomes Year 12 entrants from other schools, provided they meet subject-specific entry requirements (typically grades 6 and above at GCSE in relevant A-level subjects, though this varies by discipline).

The Ofsted inspection emphasised that pastoral care is a genuine strength. The school "provides a high level of support and pastoral care to pupils," with particular attention to those facing challenging circumstances, refugees, children with additional needs, young people in vulnerable situations. Attendance is tracked precisely; the school knows the background of each pupil and intervenes early when concerns emerge.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has clear procedures, a well-trained staff body, and a visible safeguarding culture where pupils feel able to speak up. The school chaplain offers both pastoral and spiritual support; regular prayer happens among staff (every Tuesday morning). Mental health and wellbeing services are signposted; counselling is available.

The "Values in Practice" curriculum, part of the "Alive" framework, teaches personal, social, and health education comprehensively. All students learn about equality and respect, healthy relationships, and age-appropriate relationship and sex education. These are not delivered in isolation but woven through school culture.

Location and Transport

The school sits in the Redcliffe district of central Bristol, approximately 10 minutes' walk from Bristol Temple Meads railway station (offering twice-hourly connections to London and extensive regional links). Buses serve Redcliffe Way and surrounding routes extensively. The location is highly accessible by public transport; driving and parking on Somerset Square itself is limited, though the school operates its facility lettings business from on-site parking.

School Hours

The main school day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm. Breakfast club operates from 7:45am; after-school club runs until 6pm. Holiday club operates during main school breaks.

Sixth Form

Timings differ; detailed information is available from the sixth form section of the website.

Apply through Bristol City Council's coordinated admissions process. Deadline typically mid-January for September entry. The school holds open events; check the website for exact dates. Unlike faith schools requiring intensive church attendance documentation, the admissions bar is more flexible, supporting families of no faith or other faiths with a small number of places.

Highly Oversubscribed. With 3–4 times more applications than places, entry is fiercely competitive. Living close to Somerset Square is crucial; families should verify current distance data before relying on a place. The distance criterion changes annually based on applicant distribution.

Church of England Identity is Genuine. Weekly worship is integral to school life. Students attend collective worship sessions; the school celebrates Christian festivals; the chaplaincy is active. Families uncomfortable with this should research carefully or look at non-faith comprehensives elsewhere in Bristol. The school's inclusivity is also genuine, the "Alive" values emphasise respect for all and inclusion of those from other faiths or no faith.

Not Particularly Strong in Sport. If competitive sport or regular team representation is a priority, families should be aware that music, drama, and academic provision are stronger pillars of school identity. The head recognises this and is working to raise sport's profile, but change takes time.

Sixth Form Draws Widely. About two-thirds of sixth form students join from other schools. This creates a dynamic, mixed cohort but means that friendship groups from the main school may be disrupted or diluted as new students arrive. For students wanting continuity, this is worth considering.

Mixed Inspection Ratings in Context. The previous inspection (2015) awarded Outstanding. The 2025 inspection awarded Good. This reflects both the school's genuine efforts and the significantly tightened Ofsted framework implemented in September 2024. Schools rated Outstanding under the old framework often receive Good under the new framework, which sets a higher bar. The school's outcomes and Ofsted's own comments ("pupils achieve well", "polite and courteous", "high expectations", "caring school community") are positive. But families should be clear: this is a solid, improving comprehensive, not an elite tier school.

In Bristol’s state sector it’s presented as an unusual proposition: a diverse, inclusive and non‑selective comprehensive with a Church of England ethos, around 450 years of history, and leadership framed as modern and ambitious. The school balances academic seriousness with pastoral warmth, tradition with innovation, and accessibility with excellence. For families drawn to this particular combination, and comfortable with a city-centre location requiring proximity to secure entry, an expectant Christian presence, and a school whose strength lies more in music, drama, and creative arts than in sport, this is a compelling choice. The GCSE and A-level results are solid, the atmosphere is genuine and calm, and the commitment to supporting every student is palpable. Best suited to families seeking a comprehensive secondary education in Bristol that combines character education with academic rigour, and who value diversity and inclusion as lived reality rather than aspiration.