Bristol parents want new secondary school

Parents have started up a campaign for a secondary school in north west Bristol.

They want a school within walking distance so that their children can move on from primary school together rather than making long bus journeys to secondaries outside the area.

Their group, Parents Voice, has set up a petition and is expecting strong support from families at Westbury-on-Trym Primary, Stoke Bishop Primary and the Elmlea and Henleaze Infant and Junior schools.

The campaigners say the new Redland Green School, which opened three years ago, has not led to more Bristol parents opting for the city’s secondary school provision.

They believe this is because it was built in the wrong place, too close to the popular Cotham School, thus denying children in their area the chance of places.

Their nearest schools are Henbury, Monks Park and Oasis Academy Brightstowe.

But most are choosing instead to send their children to schools in North Somerset and South Gloucestershire or paying more than £9,000 a year per child for independent schooling.

The chances for many of gaining a place for their child at Redland Green are even less since the city council cut the size of its original catchment area to reflect high demand from families living close to the school.

Eight years ago, a campaign group called Pase – Parents’ Action for Secondary Education – tried to persuade the council to build the new secondary on Stoke Lodge playing fields at Stoke Bishop, but Redland Green was chosen instead.

The new generation of campaigners thinks many of them are paying the price for that decision.

Fiona Wisloff, from Eastfield, Westbury-on-Trym, has three sons, Finnbar, eight, Diarmuid, six, and Eskil, four.

She said: “My older two boys go to our local primary, Westbury-on-Trym CE school, which is a lovely school with a strong community spirit.

“Unfortunately, there is no obvious choice of secondary school in the Westbury-on-Trym, Stoke Bishop, Henleaze area.

“It feels that all the children in the area are bussed somewhere else for their secondary school experience.”

Mrs Wisloff, 44, a Bristolian who returned to her home area nine years ago and has recently returned to work after a career break, said: “I have chatted with parents and the secondary school dilemma is constantly on our minds. I can’t think of a week that it has not come up in conversion since my children started playgroup. It is very stressful.

“Parents at Westbury Park and Bishop Road are sending their children to the new Redland Green School and we over this side of north west Bristol want somewhere we want to send our children.

“When is Bristol City Council going to deliver this for us? All we want is a local secondary school that we are proud of.”

Karen Wood, 37, of Canford Lane, a full-time mum with one child at Westbury-on-Trym primary and another about to start there, is also supporting the campaign.