![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Wansdyke-SchoolJPG.jpg\")
Wansdyke Primary School in Bristol(Image: Google Maps)<\/p>\n“This council report presents a grave danger to our local schools”Wansdyke Primary School in Bristol(Image: Google Maps)<\/p>\n
Primary schools across Bristol could end up closing because of the decline in the number of children in the city<\/a>, a council consultation has revealed. One South Bristol councillor said a Bristol City Council report that suggested there could be two primary school closures in his ward alone, was \u2018a grave danger to our local schools\u2019.<\/p>\n Bristol City Council<\/a> has launched a consultation on how to deal with changing demographics in the city<\/a>, with council chiefs asking what people think about their strategies on everything from childcare provision for two year-olds up to sixth form places for 16-18 year olds.<\/p>\n But buried in the reports and consultation documents is a wide-ranging assessment of pupil numbers in each local area around Bristol, the scale of the surplus of primary school places, and how many classes need to be cut in each area. Bristol Live revealed earlier this month the schools worst affected by the shortage of children to fill Reception class places this September<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, the council has produced its draft ‘School Organisation Strategy’ report. It divides Bristol up into 14 community areas, and already local councillors in one corner of Bristol are starting a ‘save our school’ campaign.<\/p>\n Two Liberal Democrat councillors who represent wards in South Bristol said they believe it is clear from the council draft document that education chiefs are looking at the possibility of closing two of the four smallest primary schools which are \u2018one-form entry’ in the Hengrove, Whitchurch and Stockwood area, and there could be similar issues across the city.<\/p>\n Sign up to receive daily news updates and breaking news alerts straight to your inbox for free here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The council document outlines how, in Hengrove<\/a>, Whitchurch and Stockwood, there are four primary schools with a one-form entry capacity, and a shortfall of Reception age children to fill two forms this coming September. The four, smaller, one-form-entry primary schools in that corner of South Bristol are listed as Oasis Academy New Oak, St Bernadette\u2019s, Wansdyke Primary, and Woodlands Academy.<\/p>\n The Lib Dem councillors claimed the implication from that was the council is looking at the future of two primary schools, rather than cutting the number of Reception classes in larger schools that are two- or three-form entry and keeping the smaller schools open.<\/p>\n But Cllr Tim Kent (Lib Dem, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park) questioned the accuracy of the council’s own figures. The council\u2019s own figures show that three of those four smaller schools are actually reasonably in demand this coming September.<\/p>\n Of those four smaller schools, Oasis Academy New Oak will be welcoming 18 pupils into their Reception class this September, St Bernadette\u2019s was having to expand with 47 pupils starting in September, Wansdyke has a full 30 starting and Woodlands Academy has 17 starting.<\/p>\n Cllr Tim Kent and Cllr Andrew Varney also questioned the figures the council were using to predict how many four year olds there will be in the area in the rest of the 2020s – especially because 1,400 new homes will eventually be built at Hengrove Park, with a thousand more on sites around the area of South Bristol.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Bristol schools crisis as 1,000 Reception places empty for September<\/a>READ MORE: Population of Bristol reaches over half a million for the first time ever<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis council report presents a grave danger to our local schools,\u201d said Cllr Kent. \u201cIt recommends that two local forms are closed in our area. This most likely means we will lose two of our local primary schools,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir figures say that the number of children needing school places in our area will reduce over the coming years. This is a catastrophic miscalculation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe report itself says that birth rates in the local area have stabilised, and we know that over 2,500 homes are going to be built nearby over the next few years.<\/p>\n \u201cThe demand on our schools is only going to increase. We must keep our local schools open,\u201d he added. \u201cTo close them now would be a disservice to local families, and a betrayal of new ones hoping to move to the area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_Oasis-Academy-New-Oak.jpg\")
Oasis Academy New Oak<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_JMP_SWA_310321_Hartcliffe_Millennium_Green_playground_007_JPG.jpg\")
Cllr Tim Kent (Lib Dem, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park), pictured campaigning for the return of missing swings at the Hartcliffe Millennium Green playground(Image: John Myers)<\/p>\n
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Andrew Varney was elected in Brislington West in 2021(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n