School guide · Bristol · Girls · Day · 7+, 11+ and 16+
Redmaids’ High: four timed assessments and an interview for every Year 7 candidate
Redmaids’ High offers a girls’ day-school route with a clearly described Year 7 assessment, a long supervised day and GDST bursary support. The useful decision is not whether the school looks impressive on paper. It is whether your daughter would enjoy its pace, friendships and expectations—and whether the journey and bill work every ordinary week.
Updated · Sources last reviewed · By Eleven Plus Diary
The curriculum broadens before an A-level sixth form
Years 7–8 study two languages and a broad curriculum. Year 9 pupils choose two subjects from a published group including Music, Music Technology, Computer Science, Classical Civilisation, Food Science and Nutrition, and DT Textiles.
The usual GCSE programme is nine or ten subjects, with modified routes where support needs make that sensible. Sixth form centres on three A levels for most pupils, sometimes four, plus at least one elective; EPQ is available. No current IB or BTEC route was verified.
The long day may solve childcare—or lengthen fatigue
Junior lessons end at 3.30pm and care runs to 6pm. Senior supervised homework runs to 5.30pm, with supervision described to 6pm. Breakfast starts at 7.30am for Junior pupils and 7.45am for Senior pupils.
Current bus routes cover Redland, Clifton and South Bristol, but all had waiting lists for September 2026. A published route is not a guaranteed seat. Test the morning and evening journey, then ask when 2027 booking opens and what happens after clubs.
Ask how support would work for this child
Parents are expected to disclose learning, medical and support information with the application. The policy allows reasonable assessment adjustments and may request relevant evidence, but it does not publish a simple evidence deadline or automatic entitlement.
The February 2025 ISI inspection found all applicable standards met. Its next step was to review access to partnership projects so all pupils could benefit. Treat that as a dated independent snapshot rather than a description of the school today.
A day pupil normally lives with a parent, legal guardian or an adult approved by the family and Head. Where parents live overseas, the policy requires a UK educational guardian. Confirm the proposed arrangement before applying.
Build the budget from the compulsory total
The school’s current fee page lists tuition at £4,987 per term in Years 3–4, £5,048 in Years 5–6 and £7,408 in Years 7–13. Compulsory lunch through Year 11 is £347 Junior and £362 Senior per term.
| Stage | Termly tuition and lunch | Three-term total |
|---|---|---|
| Years 3–4 | £5,334 | £16,002 |
| Years 5–6 | £5,395 | £16,185 |
| Years 7–11 | £7,770 | £23,310 |
| Sixth form | £7,408; lunch optional | £22,224 before lunch |
Most trips, many clubs, after-school care, resources and an iPad loan are included. Public exams and some enrichment remain extra. Registration is £100. The live page calls the full £450 acceptance deposit repayable, while an older schedule split it into a £350 refundable deposit and £100 non-refundable fee. Request the current invoice and contract before accepting; one full term’s notice normally applies.
GDST bursaries from 30% to full fees
The current awards page says bursaries start at 30% and can reach full fees. They are means-tested, linked to strong entrance performance and reviewed annually. GDST criteria include UK residence and immigration requirements, plus stated savings, additional-property and property-equity tests.
There is a real date error families should resolve
Registration is described only as due in December 2026. More importantly, the booklet says offers are issued “Friday 30 January” and accepted by “Friday 6 March”. In 2027, both calendar dates fall on Saturdays.
Do not guess whether the weekday or number controls. Ask Admissions to confirm in writing whether it means Friday 29 January and Friday 5 March, or Saturday 30 January and Saturday 6 March. Put the confirmed dates—not our interpretation—into your family calendar.
The 2027 Year 7 test is unusually well described
The school’s 2027 assessment booklet sets the test for Saturday 9 January 2027, with arrival at 8.45am. English has 15 minutes of comprehension and 15 minutes of creative writing. Maths is a 30-minute non-calculator paper based on Year 6 work.
Non-verbal reasoning is a 20-minute multiple-choice paper and verbal reasoning is 50 minutes, also multiple choice. The school identifies only the reasoning tests as GL Assessment papers. Commercial GL English or maths material is therefore not a Redmaids specimen.
Every candidate is interviewed, normally before the exam, by the Head, Deputy Head or Head of Year. A couple of questions are supplied in advance. The school also requests a current-school reference and latest report, so the decision is broader than one Saturday’s scores.