The decision was made amid declining enrolment figures in Bristol
The Dolphin School (file image)
Two Bristol primary schools are set to merge under a single leadership and name following approval from the Department for Education, in a move designed to strengthen education provision amid a city-wide drop in demand for school places.
The Dolphin School and Fairlawn Primary School, both located in Montpelier and recently taken over by the multi-academy trust E-ACT, will now come together under the Fairlawn name and leadership team. The trust says the merger follows a period of extensive consultation with staff, parents and the wider community.
It has confirmed that the Dolphin School’s site, which is about a 10-minute walk from Fairlawn, will close as part of the merger. There are early discussions around repurposing the site as a sixth form centre for the neighbouring E-ACT Montpelier High School on Cheltenham Road, in response to the growing need for post-16 education options in the area.
As part of the integration, all staff currently at The Dolphin School will be retained. Many will move to Fairlawn or be placed at other local schools within the E-ACT network, ensuring continuity for staff and pupils, the trust said.
The decision aims to build on Fairlawn’s existing strengths and expand its capacity to accommodate more pupils at a time when the city is experiencing a decline in birth rates, leading to fewer children enrolling in primary education.
Banners at Fairlawn Primary School pictured in 2017(Image: Bristol Post)
Tom Campbell, chief executive of E-ACT, said: “This is an exciting and important moment for both school communities as we bring together the strengths of Fairlawn and Dolphin, to deliver a high-quality education for every pupil.
“Our focus is on ensuring a smooth transition while maintaining the ethos and identity that families value. This merger allows us to think bigger, work as a stronger team, and do the right thing for our pupils in Bristol.”
To support the transition, a plan has been introduced that includes joint school events and student-led activities aimed at fostering familiarity and unity between the two pupil bodies. E-ACT is also investing in IT upgrades and classroom improvements at Fairlawn to create a more modern learning environment. In collaboration with Bristol City Council, the trust will assess traffic and safety concerns through a forthcoming impact study.
The merger is said to align with the Department for Education’s guidance on effective school planning and reflect E-ACT’s strategic focus on sustainable, high-impact education that responds to local needs and demographic changes.
It was announced in September that the eight schools run by Bristol’s controversial Society of Merchant Venturers, including the Dolphin School, had been transferred to the national academy chain E-ACT. In March it was confirmed that the Venturers Trust would have ‘no involvement with any of the schools’ going forward.
The Dolphin School opened in 2012 and received two ‘good’ ratings from Ofsted before its latest inspection in 2023, when it was downgraded to ‘requires improvement’. Two of its biggest sister schools, Merchants’ Academy and Montpelier High, received ‘inadequate’ ratings in 2024 and 2022 respectively.
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