The City Academy Bristol Review 2026: Inclusive secondary with improving momentum in Bristol

A large, mixed 11 to 18 academy serving east Bristol, The City Academy Bristol sits inside Cabot Learning Federation and positions itself as a school for the whole community, with a strong emphasis on inclusion and clear routines. Leadership is stable, with Ben Tucker as Principal, appointed permanently in 2021.

The latest formal inspection visit (26 to 27 November 2024, published January 2025) concluded the school has maintained the standards that underpinned its Good judgement from 2019. That matters for families because it signals a school that is not just holding steady but consolidating improvement, particularly around behaviour systems, SEND identification, and reading support.

The defining feature here is an intentionally inclusive culture that expects a wide mix of learners to succeed without lowering standards. External review evidence points to students feeling safe, with access to quiet “safe spaces” and trusted adults when they need help regulating. This is paired with a clear behaviour policy and consistent boundaries that students recognise as fair, which is often the difference between “rules on paper” and day-to-day calm.

Because the school is part of a multi-academy trust, it operates with shared policies and professional networks beyond a single site. Staff training and cross-trust collaboration are highlighted as a practical strength, especially where schools share subject leadership and approaches to workload. In parent terms, that typically shows up as clearer curriculum planning and fewer last-minute changes for students.

Leadership is straightforward to verify. Ben Tucker is named as Principal across official records and the school’s own leadership pages, and the school communicated his permanent appointment in October 2021 after a period as interim. For families who value continuity, that timeline matters, especially after a leadership change in 2021.

Performance needs to be read in context. On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 3,345th in England and 46th in Bristol. That places outcomes below England average overall, so this is not the kind of school where raw headline results alone tell the story. Instead, the more useful lens is progress, improvement trajectory, and whether the offer fits your child.

The most recent GCSE indicators show:

• Attainment 8 score: 37.5

• Progress 8 score: +0.07, which indicates slightly above-average progress from students’ starting points

• EBacc average point score: 3.18

Two implications follow. First, progress is a positive sign: students are, on average, moving forward at least as well as they should relative to prior attainment. Second, attainment and EBacc measures suggest that securing higher grades across a broad academic suite remains a work in progress, even as the school improves. This aligns with the most recent inspection narrative, which recognises good progress but wants more students reaching higher grades and a continued rise in EBacc participation.

A note on sixth form outcomes: the available A-level grade breakdown and England ranking are not published used here, so families should treat sixth form conversations, subject availability, and pathways planning as especially important parts of their due diligence.

The curriculum aims to be broad and ambitious, with a “shared curriculum” model designed so subject teams teach consistently and build knowledge over time. The strongest evidence points to teachers having strong subject knowledge, giving clear explanations, and modelling what good work looks like. Where this becomes practical for parents is predictability: students benefit when expectations, resources, and sequencing feel consistent across classes.

Reading is a key lever. Many students arrive with reading ages below their chronological age; the school’s response is targeted rather than generic, with some students following a phonics pathway and others focusing on comprehension. The implication is straightforward: students who struggle with literacy are less likely to fall behind across the curriculum, because the school treats reading as everyone’s business, not just an English department issue.

The current improvement priority is assessment in lessons. The most recent inspection evidence indicates that checking understanding is not consistently tight enough in every subject, sometimes allowing misconceptions to linger. For families, the best way to test this on an open event is to ask how teachers use low-stakes assessment, how they re-teach when students do not “get it”, and what intervention looks like in Year 10 and Year 11.

The school’s pathway planning is designed to support multiple destinations, not just one narrow route. The most recent inspection evidence describes a careers programme that begins from Year 7, with regular exposure to colleges, universities, and local employers. This is particularly valuable in a city like Bristol where post-16 and post-18 options are diverse and where well-timed guidance can prevent students drifting into unsuitable courses.

The school’s own curriculum documentation references employer engagement and enrichment activities, including workshops with major employers (for example, Rolls-Royce and Ovo are referenced), alongside literacy and aspiration programmes such as First Story and Future Quest. The practical implication is that students can build real-world context and motivation alongside their GCSE and sixth form studies, which tends to strengthen sustained effort over time.

Because published destination percentages and Oxbridge figures are not available here, it is sensible to ask the sixth form team for the most recent destination profile by course, not just a headline list of universities. A useful parent question is: how many students each year progress to apprenticeships, employment with training, further education, and university, and what structured support sits behind those choices.

For Year 7 entry, admissions follow Bristol City Council’s coordinated secondary process. For September 2026 entry, the online application window opens on 12 September 2025 and the final date for on-time applications is 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 2 March 2026, with acceptances due by 16 March 2026.

The school also sets out an in-year admissions route for students moving mid-year, with a structured admissions meeting and pastoral transition discussion as part of the process. This matters for families moving into Bristol or changing circumstances because it signals that transition is managed, not left to chance.

Open events tend to sit early in the autumn term for Year 6 families. Recent published information indicates an open evening in September, with no booking requirement stated for that event. Parents considering 2026 entry should assume a similar September timing and check the school’s open event page for the current year’s arrangements.

Practical tip: if you are weighing multiple Bristol secondaries, use FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to keep admissions rules, travel time, and academic indicators in one place while you shortlist.

Pastoral strength is one of the school’s clearer differentiators. Formal evidence describes warm and respectful staff-student relationships, clear boundaries, and students knowing where to go for support. Safeguarding is confirmed as effective in the most recent inspection evidence, which is the baseline families should expect but still worth verifying in practice through questions about reporting routes, supervision, and follow-up.

Inclusion is not just a headline. The school has a specially resourced SEND provision focused on speech, language and communication needs, with 20 places referenced in the most recent inspection report. Students in this provision are described as well supported and growing in confidence as learners, which will matter to families considering a mainstream setting with targeted specialist support.

Extracurricular breadth is present, but participation is a live issue. The most recent external review evidence points to a range of clubs, including sport, drama and chess, while also noting that only a minority of pupils participate regularly. This is an important nuance: the offer exists, but the challenge is uptake and consistency for all students, not just the most confident joiners.

The school’s published materials and internal documentation point to specific, named activities and clubs that give this programme more texture than a generic list. Examples referenced include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Dungeons and Dragons, and an expanding chess club. The implication for parents is that there are genuine interest-based routes into school life, including options that appeal to students who are not drawn to traditional team sport.

Enrichment is also framed as part of equitable access. Where schools can struggle is that trips, music tuition, and certain clubs can become “pay to play” by default. Here, published pupil premium strategy materials describe attention to access, alongside practical supports such as breakfast provision and wider enrichment activity. Families should still ask what is free, what is subsidised, and what costs sit outside the school day.

The published academy day structure runs from an 8.30am gate opening, with tutor time from 8.40am and lessons through to 3.00pm, with extracurricular activity following from 3.00pm onwards.

Breakfast provision is referenced in school materials, including access from 7.45am. For families juggling early work starts, this can be a meaningful support, although it is still worth confirming the current eligibility and whether it is open to all students daily.

For travel planning, focus your checks on safe walking routes, cycling storage, and bus links that match your start time, rather than relying on idealised journey planners. For sixth formers with part-time work or college-style timetables, the practicalities of late finishes on enrichment days can matter as much as the headline curriculum.

• GCSE outcomes context. The school’s GCSE ranking and attainment measures sit below England average overall, even though progress is slightly above average. This can suit students who benefit from a school that moves them forward well, but families seeking very high headline grades across the board may want to compare alternatives carefully.

• EBacc and academic breadth. EBacc indicators are currently low and external review evidence highlights a need for continued improvement in higher grades and a rising EBacc take-up. If your child is aiming for a strongly academic suite of GCSEs, ask early about subject pathways and expectations.

• Participation beyond lessons. The extracurricular offer includes appealing options, but evidence suggests regular participation is not yet the norm for most pupils. If clubs and wider experiences matter to your child’s motivation, ask how the school encourages consistent involvement.

• Sixth form comparability. Published A-level grade breakdown is not readily available here, so sixth form decisions should be based on subject availability, teaching strength by department, and destination guidance, rather than assumptions.

The City Academy Bristol is best understood as a school built around inclusion, clear routines, and steady improvement, rather than one defined by top-end exam headlines. The most recent official inspection visit supports a picture of a calm, orderly environment with effective safeguarding, strong SEND systems, and a literacy-aware approach that helps students access the curriculum.

Who it suits: students who will thrive with clear boundaries, strong pastoral structures, and a school that values belonging and steady academic progress. The key decision point is fit, particularly around academic pathway ambitions and how much your child will engage with enrichment opportunities.