Montpelier High School, Bristol

Montpelier High School (formerly Colston's Girls' School) is a girls secondary Academy, located in the Montpelier area of Bristol, England. The school building was designed by William Venn Gough and dates from 1891. It uses a polychrome mix of various Northern Renaissance styles, built in red Cattybrook brick with yellow brick and buff terracotta dressings, and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II listed building.[1][2]

Montpelier High School
Address
Cheltenham Road

Montpelier

Bristol
,
BS6 5RD

England
Coordinates51.467643°N 2.591189°W / 51.467643; -2.591189
Information
TypeAcademy
Local authorityBristol City Council
TrustVenturers Trust
Department for Education URN135581 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalMiss McCullagh
GenderGirls
Age11 to 18
Enrolment801 (Data from January 2016)
Capacity720 (Data from January 2016)
Websitewww.montpschool.org

History

Colston's Girls' School opened in 1891. It was founded with endowments left by the Bristol-born merchant, philanthropist, slave trader and Member of Parliament, Edward Colston (1636–1721), and named after him.[3][4]

From 1945 to 1966 the school was a direct grant grammar school with an entrance exam. In 1947 Colston's Girls Junior School became a state school, named Colston's Primary School.[5] In 1966 it chose to become a selective private school until in September 2008 voluntarily converting to a state-funded Academy specialising in languages.[6] This agreement was announced in July 2007 and sponsored by the Society of Merchant Venturers.[6][7] In accord with the funding agreement, the admissions criteria are not based on how close pupils live to the school.[7] Priority is given to looked after/previously looked after children, and siblings of existing pupils. Most of the remaining places are allocated on a random basis to children who live in Bristol, with a quarter of places randomly allocated to applicants in the districts surrounding Bristol (approximating to the former county of Avon).[8][9]

The school mottos are; We cherish our history but look to the future, and Go and do thou likewise taken from the biblical story of the Good Samaritan. It is a multi-faith school.

The school encourages the arts and sports, with teams entering competitions and tournaments across the country in sports such as athletics, hockey, and netball. An annual exhibition of the girls' art work is also displayed at Bristol Guild of Applied Art.

In 2013 the agreed intake increased to 140 pupils, with a sixth form maximum of 180 pupils, from an original academy intake of 112 pupils with a 160 pupil sixth form.[10]

The headteacher until 2017, Alistair Perry, was convicted in 2018 of indecently assaulting a 16-year old girl in 2000, while he was Head of History at the school.[11][12]

In November 2017, after decades of debates, Colston's Girls' School announced that it was not going to drop the name of Colston because it was of "no benefit" to the school to do so.[13] The headteacher, John Whitehead, later stated that he was overruled on this matter by the Society of Merchant Venturers.[14] On 6 November 2020, after the toppling of the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol and a consultation with staff and students, the name of the school was changed to Montpelier High School with effect from September 2021. The school is situated in the Montpelier area of the city.[15]

On 10 June 2022 Ofsted rated the school as 'Inadequate' – the lowest possible rating – after being rated 'Outstanding' 12 years prior. Whilst the diversity and enrichment clubs were commended, the main issues highlighted were surrounding safeguarding of the pupils, with comments made in reference to how the students did not feel safe at the school and as though they did not have an appropriate adult to confide in, as well as bullying issues with inconsistent responses from staff. The curriculum was also highlighted as something in need of improvement, citing a lack of ambition in particular for the Sixth Form and a lack of support for disabled children, those who struggle with reading and those with special needs. The principal, Kerry McCullagh, has been described as 'disappointed' and 'shocked' with the result, understanding that parents were noticeably going to feel 'let down' by the report. In response she has outlined a 20-point plan which involves higher focus on phonics and reinforcement of staff being safety support for the pupils.[16]

Academic achievement

The school has improved its results almost year on year and achieved its best ever GCSE scores in 2011, the table below shows the percentage of students hitting the key measure of 5 A*-C including English and Mathematics.[17]

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
N/A 85% 91% 94% 84%

The Dolphin School

In September 2012, a primary school known as The Dolphin School opened near the main site. It has around 30 pupils in each class from reception to Year 6. Female pupils of the school had admissions priority over the normal random admission tier to Colston's Girls' School, but this is no longer the case.

Notable former pupils

Notable former staff

References
  1. Historic England. "Montpelier High School (1205072)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
  2. "Colston's Girl School". historicengland.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  3. Turner, Camilla (2 November 2017). "Headteacher of school founded by slave trader Edward Colston says he refuses to 'obscure history' by changing its name". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. "Slave trader Edward Colston cut out of school service in his honour". The Daily Telegraph. 19 October 2017.
  5. "Do you think the school should keep its name or change it?". Colston's Primary School. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  6. Lipsett, Anthea (4 July 2007). "Bristol private school in switch to state academy". The Guardian.
  7. Colston's Girls' School Academy, BSF Funding Agreement, Department for Children, Schools and Families, 11 March 2008, archived from the original on 3 June 2012, retrieved 4 February 2009
  8. "Admissions Policy" (PDF). Colston's Girls' School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  9. "Admissions". Colston's Girls' School. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  10. "Approved Admission Arrangements for Colston's Girls' School (2013/14)". Colston's Girls' School. February 2012. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  11. Yong, Michael (20 July 2018). "The fall of former Colston's Girls' School headteacher who touched girl on her private parts". Bristol Post. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  12. Weatherby, Bronwen (30 January 2019). "Disgraced Colston's Girls' School headteacher Alistair Perry has sentence slashed". Bristol Post. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  13. Yong, Michael (2 November 2017). "One of Bristol's oldest schools is not changing its name". bristolpost. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  14. Cork, Tristan (15 February 2022). "Society of Merchant Venturers 'not fit' to run Bristol schools says former headteacher". Bristol Post. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  15. "Colston's Girls' School in Bristol chooses new name". BBC News. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  16. Cork, Tristan (10 June 2022). "Montpelier High School – the 'best school in Bristol' – gets worst Ofsted rating". Bristol Post. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  17. "Colston's Girls' School - GOV.UK". Education.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  18. "Joan Barton - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk.
  19. Chronicle, Evening (12 June 2004). "History no longer a mystery to author". ChronicleLive.
  20. Jeffery, Morgan (25 January 2017). "The origin of Skins, in the words of those who made it". Digital Spy.
  21. "Bristol Higher School Certificate. July Exmination Results. University List. Group IV. Natural Sciences - Pass". Western Daily Press. Bristol. 1 August 1942. p. 5. OCLC 949912923. Retrieved 15 November 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. "Tanner, Dame Mary (Elizabeth), (born 23 July 1938), European President, World Council of Churches, 2006–13". Who's Who. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U36997. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
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