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Clifton College, Bristol

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Clifton College details

Address:

Clifton College
32 College Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3JH

Telephone:

0117 3157000

Fax:

0117 315 7101

Email:

admissions@ clifton-college.avon.sch.uk

Website:

www.cliftoncollegeuk.com

Authority:

Bristol

Gender of entry:

Mixed

Age range:

2-19

Number of students:

1,290

Affiliation:

IAPS, HMC

Gender of sixth form:

Mixed

Last inspection:

May 2001. Read the full inspection report.

General information

Headteacher: Mark Moore, appointed in 2005.

Background: Clifton College is a 144-year-old school with traditional values and modern ideas. A boarding school which also takes day pupils, Clifton College sets out to provide a well-rounded education in a spirit of endeavour and tolerance. While it has Christian foundations, pupils come from all over the world and from all faiths. In the past three years £10m has been invested in refurbishing boarding houses. Pupils enter the senior school at 13 and study core subjects including Latin, Greek, or classical studies, design and technology and a modern language such as Mandarin Chinese. Academic expectations are high and pupils usually study 10 GCSEs and three A-levels. Clifton's success in winning between 10 and 20 places at Oxford and Cambridge universities each year has led to a high demand for the sixth form. More than 30 girls and boys join the lower sixth from a variety of schools in the UK, taking sixth-form numbers to about 300. Clifton has a comprehensive training and monitoring programme designed to develop particularly talented pupils. Musical opportunities abound with informal concerts most weeks. Drama is a big feature of school life and has shaped the future of stars such as John Cleese. Sport is also a strength. Cricket and rugby flourish, and there are plenty of other options including badminton, basketball, rowing and fives. The Marshall, a member of the support staff, enforces standards of behaviour around the school and in nearby Clifton village, and monitors attendance in lessons and games.

Alumni: John Cleese, comedian and actor; Trevor Howard, actor; John Inverdale, broadcaster; Sir David Willcocks, conductor; James Kirtley, cricketer.

Higher education: 97% (7 Oxford 5 Cambridge).

Special needs: The school has a special educational needs department with fully qualified staff. It can cope with mild to moderate forms of conditions such as autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADHD, emotional and behavioural difficulties, epilepsy, moderate learning difficulties and speech and language disorders.

Inspection: May 2001: In the tradition of John Percival, the founding headmaster, Clifton College sets out to provide a liberal education in a mixed day and boarding community in a spirit of endeavour and tolerance. These principles inform a civilised community of young people, led by a headmaster and staff devoted to their care and education. The school is in a period of review and change signalling the determination of the council and headmaster that the school should adopt new structures and methods so that it may face the 21st century with confidence.

Feeder schools: St John's on-the-Hill; The Downs; Tockington Manor; All Hallows; The Elms.

Boys' age range: 13 to 18.

Girls' age range: 13 to 18.

Percentage admitted according to academic ability: 100.

Average class size (seniors; 11-16): 20.

Average class size (sixth form): 14.

Clifton College Statistics

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