THE opening of a new secondary school in Lyde Green is easing the pressure on other schools to provide extra places.
The new Lyde Green Community School had originally been due to open in 2022, to provide secondary school places for families in the fast-growing estate east of Emersons Green.
But it 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 forms to accommodate the demand.
Now the new school is on track to open in September, offering places for 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, with capacity to take on more by September.
It means that Downend, 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 its 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.
“When this administration took office less than three years ago, the project was effectively starting from scratch. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved, we are able to deliver a much‑needed new secondary school at pace, providing the additional capacity our growing communities require.
“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.”
Lyde Green Community School head teacher Tom Hill said the school expected to have around 140 students when it welcomes its first ever intake of Year 7s in September, which was 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.”