Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent boarding school, providing education to pupils aged 3-18, in Bristol .
Key Information
Clifton College offers GCSE & A Level curriculum. They deliver a strong EAL for international students. Full boarding is offered on site in their Clifton grounds, catering to both UK & international students. Clifton College has an established Special Education Needs (SEN) provision specialising in dyslexic & dyspraxic learning differences. Read more below ...
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History of the School
The College's 150-year heritage is evidence of its ethos and achievements. Clifton has a unique story amongst leading public schools which explains the character and achievements of today's Cliftonians. Clifton was founded and led by Dr John Percival, a visionary, intellectual Head Master. He was a Victorian ahead of his time; he aimed to produce "children of varied but definite character". His curriculum and activities outside the classroom developed young people who were confident without arrogance and had a sense of responsibility towards others; characteristics which remain today. Old Cliftonians include comedian John Cleese, and GB Hockey player Lily Owsley.
Pre-16 qualifications
In the Upper School, the adventure of learning begins and pupils learn to cope with greater independence and more rigorous challenges. They develop the working methods which will see them through their time at Clifton College; at the same time, they do all they can to maintain their natural inquisitiveness and eagerness to learn.
Post 16 qualifications
The Sixth Form at Clifton is a special place, providing an opportunity for self-discovery and personal development. Whether inside or outside the classroom, Sixth Formers embody the College’s ethos of integrity, honesty and spirit, as well as developing skills of leadership, organisation, responsibility, resourcefulness, perseverance and tolerance throughout their two year journey with them.
Academic performance
Almost all of our pupils go on to higher education with the majority of pupils securing places at their first choice universities. Including places at both Oxford and Cambridge and other highly competitive universities such as Durham, Exeter, Edinburgh and UCL. Excellent results by themselves are not the only signifier of a well-rounded education. We place equal importance on personal growth and independence.
Boarding accommodation
There are seven boarding Houses in the Upper School, including four Boys’ Houses and three Girls’ Houses. Most pupils are full-time boarders involved in the College’s busy life for seven days a week, but some families prefer to opt for a ‘flexi-boarding’ arrangement. This may range from regular ‘day-boarding’, with an entitlement of up to four nights per week, to ‘occasional boarding’, available on a per-night basis. The pupils share their home with a Housemaster or Housemistress and their family, an Assistant, a resident tutor and sometimes a pet. In addition, each House has up to five non-residential tutors.
Pastoral care
Staff work hard to create a caring and supportive atmosphere to help make each child feel safe and secure. The House and Tutorial systems are the formal structures for looking after the pupils in their care, but further support comes when needed from informal sources of spiritual and social guidance. They believe kindness, tolerance, good manners and honesty are all vitally important in the life of our community, and they aim to instill virtues and values that our pupils will carry with them for the rest of their lives. They have an excellent support network of highly-trained staff who work tirelessly to ensure your child is both happy and healthy. Their on-site medical facilities are first-class and our catering staff work with nutritionists to optimise the health of your child at every stage of their development.
Extra-curricular activities
Clifton College is committed to embedding safeguarding into the whole school. Pastoral care and academic achievement go hand in hand and they recognise that one cannot flourish without the other. Their pupils perform best when they are happy and secure, so Clifton College are proud to have built a caring and supportive community.
General school facilities
The distinctive, historic buildings at Clifton provide an inspirational backdrop for learning, with an enviable mix of modern facilities and traditional 19th century architecture. The Percival Library is a beautiful Grade II listed building, home to more than 15,000 books; this and other specialised buildings, such as the Joseph Cooper Music School and the Redgrave Theatre, ensure our pupils have access to first class facilities, which enhance their educational experience. We are also excited to open our new state-of-the-art Chellaram Sports Complex at our Beggar's Bush site this September (2024), open to both pupils and the wider community.
A Quick Summary
Clifton College is able to make provision for students who have certain specific learning difficulties, for example dyslexia, or who have a need for specialist or additional help in some areas of their learning. The College facilitates the provision of specialist teachers for Learning Support, both mainstream academic subject teachers and teachers with experience in Special Educational Needs. The Learning Support Department in the Fyffe Centre has a classroom for group learning support and six classrooms for individual teaching as well as the new Learning Hub computer suite.
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We have been helping overseas students gain entrance to Clifton College for a number of years now, progressing to high profile careers in the UK. Find out more about this school below.