The City Academy Bristol
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The City Academy Bristol is a sponsored academy in Bristol for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 977 pupils, 2 more than it has places for. About 48 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 19 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it.
Russell Town Avenue, Bristol, BS5 9JH0117 941 3800cityacademybristol.clf.ukMr Ben Tucker headteacherAll details
Ofsted
Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
174 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Bristol, City of | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 174 | 190 | 213 | 147 | 114 | 114 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 38.5 | 37.5 | 35.9 | 38.8 | 31.4 | 38.0 | 47.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.07 | +0.07 | +0.32 | -0.12 | +0.26 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 30% | 26% | 30% | 36% | 19% | 29% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 51% | 50% | 53% | 59% | 45% | 54% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.28 | 3.18 | 3.18 | 3.36 | 2.63 | 3.31 | 4.15 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 26% | 25% | 35% | 41% | 36% | 44% | 35% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 35.1 | 33.2 | 30.2 | 38.4 | 29.9 | 36.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 41.7 | 41.3 | 40.7 | 39.3 | 35.2 | 42.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 26.9 | 25.5 | 34.7 | 19.5 | 25.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 63.9 | 57.6 | – | 57.8 | 59.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (9% here, 56% across England), History (16% here, 52% across England), Spanish (21% here, 54% across England), Design & Technology (18% here, 50% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 173 | 10% | 33% | 55% | 54% | 2,929 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 172 | 13% | 40% | 60% | 53% | 2,444 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 157 | 8% | 42% | 61% | 58% | 2,592 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 151 | 3% | 18% | 43% | 36% | 2,723 of 3,084 |
| History | 110 | 7% | 16% | 36% | 52% | 3,080 of 3,126 |
| Business | 87 | 1% | 22% | 38% | 51% | 1,649 of 1,806 |
| Religious Studies | 82 | 15% | 39% | 54% | 60% | 1,597 of 1,825 |
| Art and Design | 60 | 8% | 28% | 58% | 58% | 2,557 of 2,818 |
| Geography | 52 | 23% | 44% | 54% | 51% | 1,796 of 3,116 |
| Spanish | 42 | 17% | 21% | 36% | 54% | 1,831 of 1,941 |
| Computer Science | 39 | 18% | 49% | 56% | 56% | 1,094 of 1,861 |
| Social Studies | 23 | 13% | 44% | 52% | 54% | 716 of 1,043 |
| Physical Education | 22 | 0% | 9% | 18% | 56% | 1,541 of 1,559 |
| Physics | 20 | 20% | 80% | 90% | 82% | 1,614 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 20 | 40% | 80% | 95% | 82% | 1,629 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 20 | 35% | 90% | 95% | 81% | 1,099 of 2,537 |
| Other Modern Languages | 19 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
| Design & Technology | 17 | 6% | 18% | 29% | 50% | – |
| Drama | 8 | 0% | 13% | 25% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2019
2 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Students | 2 |
| Average A level grade | NE |
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bristol, City of council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and SEN unit with 0 pupils and a SEN unit with 25 pupils, for autism, moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Bristol, City of with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (87), language and communications needs (62), Specific learning difficulty (34), Moderate learning difficulty (33), Autistic spectrum disorder (15), Other difficulty or disability (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 977 | 970 | 992 | 1,033 | 1,012 | 1,013 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 48% | 49% | 49% | 46% | 42% | 38% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 44% | 44% | 32% | 37% | 41% | 42% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 21% | 18% | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 87.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 12.4% | 11.8% | 12.1% | 12.2% | 10.0% | 7.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 7.2% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 4.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 5.2% | 5.9% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 3.3% | 3.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 40.8% | 39.3% | 40.4% | 40.2% | 31.2% | 26.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 111.9 | 48.6 | 63.9 | 41.4 | 26.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 213 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 85%, compared with 89% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 82% | 88% | 84% |
| Education | 85% | 80% | 84% | 83% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 1% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 9% | 9% | 12% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield High School | Academy | 1.2 miles | 1,057 | Good 2023 | 42 | Compare |
| Prospect Education Trust | Miscellaneous | 1.4 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| E-Act Montpelier High School | Academy | 1.4 miles | 859 | Inadequate 2022 | 62 | Compare |
| St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School | Church of England | 1.5 miles | 1,792 | No overall grade 2025 | 70 | Compare |
| Oasis Academy Temple Quarter | Free school | 1.5 miles | 391 | Report card 2025 | 47 | Compare |
| Bristol Brunel Academy | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,267 | Report card 2026 | 40 | Compare |
| Bristol Metropolitan Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | 1,103 | Report card 2026 | 50 | Compare |
| Cotham School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,654 | Good 2023 | 62 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares The City Academy Bristol with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 19 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 19% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 25. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.26 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 174 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 0% | no data | – | |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | 0.00 | DfE progress measure; 174 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.02 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.27 | 2024/25; 1,024 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 174 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.06 | 213 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is The City Academy Bristol a good school?
The figures are weak. The City Academy Bristol scores 19 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 32% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 25, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
How good are The City Academy Bristol's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 30% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 38.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does The City Academy Bristol have?
977 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 975 places, so it is 100% full.
Is The City Academy Bristol oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at The City Academy Bristol?
Pupils were in school 87.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 41% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at The City Academy Bristol?
The average class had 22.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does The City Academy Bristol have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and sen unit for autism, moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does The City Academy Bristol have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2019 was NE.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Russell Town Avenue, Bristol, BS5 9JH
- Telephone
- 0117 941 3800
- Website
- cityacademybristol.clf.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Ben Tucker
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Cabot Learning Federation (36 schools)
- Local authority
- Bristol, City of
- Ward
- Easton
- Constituency
- Bristol East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 June 2016 (fresh start)
- URN
- 144509 · LAESTAB 8014010 · UKPRN 10063189
- Formerly
- The City Academy Bristol
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.