United Kingdom · Bristol
Bristol Grammar School is a selective, co-educational independent day school from Reception through Sixth Form. Its subject range makes it worth considering for a child who wants academic choice while living at home. Senior and Sixth Form fees are £7,422 per term from autumn 2026. Admissions pages still describe the previous entry round, so families applying for 2027 need a new timetable.
Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a fee-paying, selective day school for girls and boys on University Road in Bristol. Despite its name, it is not a state-funded grammar school. It offers an education from Reception, the first primary-school year, through the two Sixth Form years before university.
Its strongest reason for inclusion on a shortlist is the combination of day-school continuity and academic choice. The school advertises 25 GCSE subjects and around 30 A levels. That is useful breadth, but an older applicant needs confirmation of the particular subjects they can take, not just the total offered.
BGS does not provide boarding. Compare Clifton College if residential provision matters to your family. For a day place, assess BGS on its curriculum, support and the journey from your intended home rather than treating boarding as the only difference between the schools.
The Infant School covers Reception to Year 2, Juniors Years 3–6, and Seniors Years 7–11. GCSEs are subject qualifications normally taken at the end of Year 11. BGS lists options ranging from Russian and Latin to dance and computing in its Senior School overview.
Sixth Form means Years 12 and 13, also called Lower and Upper Sixth. The published A-level curriculum asks students to choose three main subjects across these two years. A levels are advanced subject qualifications used for university entry.
Students also take an elective. Examples include the Extended Project Qualification, an independent research project, or further mathematics study. Ask how the elective fits the intended university course and workload. The curriculum page retains a broken International Baccalaureate link; that does not establish an available IB entry route.
For a transfer during GCSE or A-level study, have the school compare completed topics and examination specifications before accepting a place. A vacancy alone does not settle whether the transfer is academically workable.
The registration charge is £50, including VAT. As of 4 September 2026, the reviewed application pages still describe 2026 entry. Their past dates and paper formats should not be treated as confirmed arrangements for September 2027.
The Infant and Junior process identifies Reception, Year 3 and Year 5 as the main entry points:
Junior offers also take account of a current-school report. The page lists November 2025 and, subject to vacancies, January 2026 assessments for September 2026 admission. Request the next dates rather than working from that expired schedule. Other year groups and mid-year entry depend on vacancies.
For Senior entry, the main intake is Year 7 in September. The usual arrangement offers two January Saturdays, with each Year 7 candidate attending one. Years 8–10 have one January assessment date.
The published 2026-entry tests are:
| Entry year | Published assessment subjects |
|---|---|
| Year 7 | Creative writing, 45 minutes; comprehension, 20 minutes; problem-solving, 30 minutes; arithmetic, 20 minutes |
| Year 8 | English, mathematics and French, German, Spanish or Russian |
| Years 9–10 | English, mathematics, science and French, German, Spanish or Russian |
Year 7 candidates also meet a staff member to discuss interests and schoolwork. A reference or recent report is considered for every year group. Applicants receive sample papers late in the autumn term, or with their application acknowledgement if applying later.
Late assessments can be arranged where places remain. A waiting list is not a first-come-first-served guarantee: when a vacancy arises, the school says it contacts waiting applicants for testing and awards places on merit.
Sixth Form applicants normally have interviews in their chosen subjects. The page directs families to the prospectus for entry grades and course requirements. Ask for the current overall threshold, individual subject grades and treatment of overseas qualifications.
The Sixth Form page still gives a 14 November 2025 application deadline and 25 November 2025 interviews for 2026 entry. It allows later applications subject to subject availability, but says that round’s scholarships and bursaries were awarded after the main interviews. Funding applicants therefore need the new timetable early.
The learning-support department describes help with specific learning difficulties, physical disabilities and English as an additional language. It can arrange individual literacy and numeracy support during school hours. The school also describes a sensory room and teaching-assistant support in Infant and Junior classes.
Tell admissions about known needs at the first enquiry. The school invites families to meet learning support before entry so provision can be considered from the assessment stage onwards. Obtain a specific plan covering test adjustments, teaching support, frequency and any additional charges. General availability is not a promise of unlimited individual support or an intensive beginner-English programme.
Pastoral provision includes form tutors, Heads of House, counsellors and a school nurse. Here, a house is a pastoral grouping, not boarding accommodation. Ask who would coordinate communication if your child needed both academic and emotional support.
The published fees include applicable VAT. There are three terms per year; the annual figures below are calculated as three times the published term fee, before discounts and extras.
| Stage | Per term | Calculated annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Reception | £4,290 | £12,870 |
| Years 1–2 | £4,692 | £14,076 |
| Years 3–6 | £5,052 | £15,156 |
| Years 7–11 | £7,422 | £22,266 |
| Sixth Form | £7,422 | £22,266 |
Exercise books, textbook loans and a tablet loan from Year 3 are included. Reception–Year 11 lunch is also included: its £300 termly charge is VAT-exempt and must not be added again. Sixth Form café purchases cost extra.
The £300 acceptance deposit is separate upfront cash, not an additional annual tuition charge. It is refundable without interest after the pupil leaves, less outstanding charges. The school publishes a 5% second-or-subsequent-sibling discount, recorded on the older sibling’s account.
Budget separately for:
Year 7–11 pupils bringing a phone must buy a £25 Yondr locking pouch, billed the following term. The school requires phones to remain locked from 8.30am to 3.50pm. Pupils who do not bring phones receive an exemption pass.
For illustration, three Year 7 terms plus compulsory insurance and the Head’s Fund total £22,291.80 before discounts. Adding registration and the refundable deposit brings first-year cash outlay to £22,641.80, before uniform, a phone pouch and other extras.
One third of the annual fee is due by the first day of each term. The external monthly-payment facility carries a charge; termly direct debit to the school does not carry interest. Ask separately for the conditions of the advance-payment discount.
The published cancellation notice describes a 14-day cancellation period for contracts formed entirely remotely, without a face-to-face staff meeting. It starts the day after receipt of the signed acceptance form. Services already supplied can be charged proportionately; otherwise fees and deposits are refunded under the notice’s terms.
That notice is not the ordinary withdrawal policy. Before accepting, obtain the full parent contract and check notice deadlines, fees payable instead of notice, and any additional deposit applicable to your offer. The cancellation document mentions such a deposit without publishing an amount.
Means-tested bursaries start at Year 3. Published assistance ranges from 10% to 100% in Seniors and Sixth Form, and up to 40% in Juniors. Additional help with travel, trips, uniform and equipment may be available.
Awards depend on family circumstances, academic merit in the entrance assessments and available funds. Apply before the entrance assessments, after submitting the school application and registration payment. Contact the school if that registration charge is itself unaffordable. The online bursary system gives the deadline for completing the form and supporting documents.
The school’s figure of 169 bursary holders relates to 2024–25, not the present year. It is evidence that the scheme has supported pupils, not a prediction of how many awards remain available.
Scholarships recognise exceptional academic, sporting or artistic ability at Senior and Sixth Form entry. Since September 2023, they provide an annual development grant and a scholars’ programme, rather than automatic fee reductions. Scholarship applicants who need tuition assistance must also pursue a means-tested bursary.
Breakfast Club opens at 7.45am in term time without an attendance charge. Infant cereal or toast is free; from Year 3, breakfast purchases cost extra. Infant and Junior after-school care runs until 5.45pm, with an annual family registration fee and session charges that need confirming.
The Infant timetable starts at 8.30am. Reception finishes at 3.25pm and Years 1–2 at 3.30pm. Stay & Play care begins at 3.45pm and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead. Do not assume an after-school activity provides care for the whole afternoon.
Senior pupils can use the library until 6pm, and the school also describes a supervised room for those who prefer to relax after lessons. Test the school journey at the times your family would actually use, including collection after care or activities.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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Bristol Grammar School is an independent day school. Clifton College offers day and boarding places. Compare the right year group and residential arrangement before comparing fees.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.