Bristol schools: Three secondary schools aim to meet places shortfall

The three free schools are being planned by trusts around the city

Three new free secondary schools are being planned for Bristol to cope with a severe shortage of places.

Bristol City Council wants three new schools in a number of locations including a community centre and an industrial estate.

One of the trusts which hopes to build a school near Temple Meads said the city was in "dire need" of secondary places.

If no action is taken, Bristol will be 683 school places short by 2022.

One new school could be built by Oasis Community Learning on the site of Merrywood School in Knowle, which closed in 2000.

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Oasis Academy Temple Quarter, is aiming to build a 1,600 place secondary on land near Temple Meads.

Ally Eynon, development lead for the trust, said the government and city had already identified the area as being "in dire need of places".

She added: "We're really committed to providing those, and we know how urgent that need is."

No planning permission has yet been acquired.

Bristol Cathedral School is awaiting planning permission for its new school in Lockleaze.

The aim is to open next September, and it is already oversubscribed.

Neil Blundell, executive at the trust, said: "We know that shortfall is there because the children are already in the primary schools.

"The local authority has been working very, very hard to address that.

"I know they've helped increase the capacity of almost all secondary schools in Bristol, or all that can be, now it's the turn of adding some new schools for the city."

'Outside people applying'

The city council has said the shortages are a sign that Bristol secondary schools are becoming more popular.

Cabinet member for education, Anna Keen said: "When I was first teaching in Bristol so many families moved out of Bristol to send their children to secondaries.

"We absolutely don't have that problem now, we have people from outside applying for Bristol schools but we always prioritise our home children."