School profile Verified 18 August 2026

Bristol, City of Private schools

Clifton College

Guthrie Road, Clifton, BS8 3EZ

Clifton College is a private secondary-stage school in Bristol, Bristol, City of, with a published age range of 3-19.

Private school Co-ed Ages 3-19 Sixth form Boarding school
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-19
ISI ?
Standards met
Boarding ?
Boarding school
Compare Official website Map

At a glance

Key facts

Sector
Private school
Gender
Mixed
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-19
Boarding ?
Boarding school
Route check
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
ISI ?
Standards met

Overview

Founded in 1862 by Dr John Percival, Clifton College grew from a Bristol school with a deliberately forward-looking view of education. Its Clifton campus now brings together Pre-Prep, Prep and Upper School, and the College is co-educational. Percival's emphasis on character and responsibility remains part of the school's account of its education.

The Upper School begins in Year 9, bringing together pupils moving up from Clifton's Prep School with external entrants. Years 9 to 11 follow a broad programme before GCSE choices are made, while the school also has a Sixth Form for pupils aged 16 to 18.

Boarding is an Upper School feature. Seven houses, four for boys and three for girls, provide the residential structure; most board full time, while flexi arrangements can include regular day boarding or occasional nights. This sits alongside the day-school experience and the College's wider programme of activities.

Applications are made directly to the College. Its current Upper School form records the expected year group and a day, flexi-boarding or full-boarding preference, and invites applicants to register an interest in academic, art, design technology, drama, music, performing arts or sport scholarships.

Key points

Assessment route
Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
Places and demand
Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
Catchment
Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
Results
0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 25.2 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 30.3% AAB or better.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Bristol, City of and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Clifton College, Bristol, City of, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
25.2
Grade 5+ English and maths
0%
EBacc APS
2.32
EBacc entry
0%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Bristol, City of and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Clifton College, Bristol, City of, and England. 60 46.7 33.3 20 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

School details

Sector
Private school
School type
Other independent school
Funding
Independent fee-paying
Application
Apply direct to school
Gender
Mixed
Age range
3-19
Head Master
Dr Tim Greene
Pupil roll
1,204 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Boarding
Boarding school

Location and contact

Address

Address
Guthrie Road, Clifton, Bristol, Bristol, City of
Postcode
BS8 3EZ

School leadership

Head Master
Dr Tim Greene

School contact

School phone
01173157000

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions phone
01173157000

Admissions

Application route
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-19
Gender
Mixed
Boarding
Boarding school
Day fees
£12,950-£13,170 per term including VAT for Upper School Years 9-13, 2026/27
Boarding fees
£17,795-£20,725 per term including VAT for Upper School flexi or full boarding, 2026/27
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries
Entrance details
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
Admissions note
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

Entrance route and assessment

Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.

Assessment route
Apply direct to school

Application

  1. 13+ scholarship applications close

    16 November 2026

    Route: Year 9 (13+) scholarship; entry: 2027.

  2. Sixth Form scholarship applications close

    26 October 2026

    Route: Sixth Form (16+) scholarship; entry: 2027.

  3. 13+ academic scholarship assessment

    13 January 2027

    Route: Year 9 (13+) academic scholarship; entry: 2027.

  4. Sixth Form academic scholarship assessment

    20 November 2026

    Route: Sixth Form (16+) academic scholarship; entry: 2027.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply direct to the school

    Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

    Check school admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Attainment 8 ?
25.2 Attainment 8
GCSE results
0% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?
0% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?
2.32 EBacc APS
A-level results
30.3% AAB or better
A-level average points
42.11 A-level points per entry

Inspection

Standards met

Latest inspection: 10 October 2023

Leadership, management and governance
Standards met
Quality of education, training and recreation
Standards met
Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
Standards met
Social and economic education and contribution to society
Standards met
Safeguarding
Standards met

Quick summary

  • Latest ISI report: Latest verified ISI inspection report records an inspection beginning 10 October 2023. The report says the relevant standards were met.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does Clifton College handle admissions?

Clifton College handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

How do I apply to Clifton College?

1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

When are the key dates for Clifton College?

13+ scholarship applications close: 16 November 2026. Sixth Form scholarship applications close: 26 October 2026. 13+ academic scholarship assessment: 13 January 2027. Sixth Form academic scholarship assessment: 20 November 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Clifton College?

Clifton College is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 10 October 2023.