St Brendan's is a state funded

sixth form college A sixth form college (pre-university college in Malaysia) is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 study typically for advanced post-school level qualifications such as GCE Advanced Level, A Levels, Business and Technology Edu ...

located in Brislington,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, England. Over 1700 students study A-levels, BTECs & GCSEs on one purpose-built, university style campus.

History

St Brendan's was founded by the

Irish Christian Brothers The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice. Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...

as a Catholic school for boys in 1896 in

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent, ...

in Bristol. During the first fifty years of its existence it played a part in developing an educated Catholic laity in and around Bristol. Many of its pupils entered the priesthood as well as other professions.

Direct grant grammar school

Following the

Education Act 1944 The Education Act 1944 ( 7 & 8 Geo. 6. c. 31) made major changes in the provision and governance of secondary schools in England and Wales. It is also known as the Butler Act after the President of the Board of Education, R. A. Butler. Histori ...

, Saint Brendan's became a boys'

direct grant grammar school A direct grant grammar school was a type of selective secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed between 1945 and 1976. One quarter of the places in these schools were directly funded by central government, while the remainder attracted ...

and by the late 1950s had outgrown the Berkeley Square site. The Brothers purchased a house (the Beeches) and extensive grounds of

Brislington House Brislington House (now known as Long Fox Manor) was built as a private History of psychiatric institutions, lunatic asylum. When it opened in 1806 it was one of the first purpose-built asylums in England. It is situated on the Bath Road in Bris ...

Brislington Brislington is an area in the south east of the city of Bristol, England. It is on the edge of Bristol and from Bath, Somerset, Bath. Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley and St Anne's Wood. Brislingto ...

, built the present accommodation, and moved to Brislington in 1960. The grammar school was wound down over several years, the last of the old grammar school students, some having joined the Preparatory School in 1975, many having joined the senior school in 1978, joined the sixth form in 1983.

Present-day: sixth form college

In the late 1970s, as a result of a reorganisation of Catholic

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

in Bristol and

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, St Brendan's became a coeducational

providing a range of A level, BTEC and other Level 3 courses for students aged 16+. Its reputation and the breadth of subjects and courses now offered draw many students from secondary schools across Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire. St Brendan's is an inclusive college, and membership of the Catholic faith is not a prerequisite. In 2009 the college was almost entirely rebuilt, with the latest technology, a new music and performing arts building, a new dance studio and a theatre, offering opportunities for a range of performing arts, including music, dance and drama and also for music technology. Other provision includes a county-standard sports hall for a very wide range of sports with a fully equipped fitness suite, and a Design and Technology design studio and workshop with 21st century machinery such as laser cutters and a 3D colour printer. Marian Curran was appointed principal in 2020, after having been vice principal since 2018.

Student Union

The St. Brendan's

Student Union A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizatio ...

is a large part of the college's community. The union is made up of a committee of students elected by the student body annually which support and represent the students and organises events. The union is closely affiliated with the NUS and regularly send its electorates and students to events like the NUS Annual,

NUS LGBT The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of student unions across the United Kingdom. Approximately 600 student unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Although t ...

and NUS Black Conference. St. Brendan's Relationships, a society within the college, is inclusive and supportive of

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

members, and mainly focuses on four key areas: advice, campaigning, support, and social. In May 2009, the group won the

National Union of Students LGBT Campaign The National Union of Students (NUS) is a confederation of student unions across the United Kingdom. Approximately 600 student unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Although t ...

award " FE Society of the Year".

Enrichment

There is a range of college enrichment activities that runs throughout the timetable including sport, drama, art, music, journalism, and chaplaincy activities providing opportunities for personal development and skills acquisition.

References

External links

*
Student Union on the NUS website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Brendan's Sixth Form College Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese of Clifton Sixth form colleges in Bristol Catholic universities and colleges in England