Bristol Free SchoolSt Bede's Catholic College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bristol.
Summary of the comparison
Bristol Free School and St Bede's Catholic College are secondary schools in Bristol.
Bristol Free School scores 72 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and St Bede's Catholic College scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average). Bristol Free School is ahead on our composite score.
Bristol Free School was judged strong and St Bede's Catholic College was judged the expected standard.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 59.3 for Bristol Free School and 51.8 for St Bede's Catholic College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Bristol Free School (51.8 in 2021-22, 59.3 in 2025-26) and has fallen at St Bede's Catholic College (61.6 in 2021-22, 51.8 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BristolBristol Free School | BristolSt Bede's Catholic College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B72/100Stronger figure | C67/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 24 in Bristol Stronger figure | 4th of 24 in Bristol | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Free schools | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-19 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,304 | 1,324 | |
| Capacity | 1,090 | 1,208 | |
| Location | Bristol, BS10 6NJ | Bristol, BS11 0SU | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 59.3 Stronger figure | 51.8 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 69.5% Stronger figure | 51.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 83.5% Stronger figure | 72.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 200 | 205 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 135 | 130 | |
| A-level average points | 39.5 Stronger figure | 34.7 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 40.8 Stronger figure | 34.5 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 29.5% Stronger figure | 14.7% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,292 | 1,315 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 14.5% | 12.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 7.4% | 27.5% | |
| SEN support | 16.6% | 8.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.7% | 2.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.5% | 6.4% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 13.0% Stronger figure | 16.7% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Bristol Free School
St Bede's Catholic College
Full profiles: Bristol Free School · St Bede's Catholic College