LYDE Green’s new secondary school will have around 140 Year 7 pupils when the first lessons begin in September.
The school in Honeysuckle Road, which is currently being fitted out as a £58.3 million building project nears completion, has made offers to a total of 131 pupils who applied through South Gloucestershire Council’s secondary school admissions process.
Head teacher Tom Hill says that since the council’s applications process closed last autumn, more families have been in touch to enquire about places, and around 140 are currently expected to join when it opens its doors for the coming academic year.
The opening of Lyde Green Community School is also easing the pressure on other schools to provide extra places.
It had originally been due to open in 2022 to provide secondary school places for families in the fast-growing estate, alongside a primary school which is also part of the new-build complex.
But the project was hit by a series of delays and in the meantime, neighbouring schools including Downend, Mangotsfield and Winterbourne Academy had to increase capacity and host extra classes to accommodate the demand.
The new secondary school can accommodate up to 180 Year 7 students in six classes every year.
Already this year it has received 248 applications, including 107 first-preference bids, and has made offers to a total of 131 pupils.
If that number increases to 140 it will be just over three quarters full when it opens.
Mr Hill said the number of students offered places is broadly in line with predictions.
He said: “We’re also seeing increasing interest since the initial allocation – with just over 10 new enquiries in the past week or so – which is a really positive sign.
“Many families have told us they were initially unsure about selecting a brand‑new school, but now that they can see the build progressing so strongly, the quality of our facilities taking shape, and the strength of the staff team we’ve appointed, confidence is clearly growing. We fully expect numbers to continue rising.”
Mr Hill said families who have recently moved into the area or are considering transferring their child’s place can contact the school directly at enquiries@lydegreencs.org.uk.
He said the school’s build is “progressing extremely well”, with carpets in many classrooms, furniture going in and internal spaces starting to take shape.
Mr Hill said: “It’s a lovely moment to see the building come to life.”
Downend School, which two years ago had 325 first-choice applications, had 287 for its 240 places this year, making offers to a total of 236 first-choice applicants and four who put it second or third.
At Mangotsfield, which in 2024 and 2025 raised its admission number to 270 to help accommodate demand, offers have been made to 209 pupils for 210 places, with all 178 families who put the school as their first choice being offered places.
At Winterbourne Academy, which has a capacity of 300 students per year, all 232 families who made the school their first choice were given offers, with a total of 267 places filled: two years ago it had 304 first-preference applicants, and 54 missed out on a place.
South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member for education Ian Boulton said: “The opening of Lyde Green Secondary School this September marks an important step in ensuring that local families have access to the school places they need within their own communities.
“The benefit is clear: for the first time in several years, no existing secondary school has been asked to exceed its published admission number. This gives families greater certainty, supports school stability, and ensures we can continue to respond positively to families moving into the area throughout the year.”
Offers to parents who applied for primary school places are due to be made in April.
Team takes shape
Lyde Green Community School has announced the leadership team who will support head Tom Hill in running the school.
Deputy head Janie Ashburner has nearly 30 years’ experience in secondary education and was previously head teacher of a special school.
Associate assistant head teacher and head of Year 7 Chloe Smart is a PE and sport specialist who was previously senior assistant headteacher at a state boarding school for boys.
Associate assistant head teacher and special educational needs coordinator Lou Roscoe has a background in psychology and sociology, and previously held a range of leadership roles within the Kingswood-based Cabot Learning Federation.
Operations lead Donna Smith has more than 15 years’ experience in the mental health sector along with experience of working as part of the pastoral team at Patchway Community School.
*The new school is currently inviting expressions of interest from groups, clubs and organisations interested in hiring its facilities from September.
More information can be found at www.lydegreencs.org.uk/Lettings.