St Brendan's is a state funded

sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...

located in Brislington,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, 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 ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, ...

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 Ke ...

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 1944 Education Act, Saint Brendan's became a boys' direct grant grammar school 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 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 Brislington, Bristol, although parts of th ...

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. Brislington Brook runs through the area in the woodlands of Nightingale Valley and St Anne's Wood. Brislington formerly hou ...

, 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 or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

in Bristol and Bath, 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 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 NUS or Nus may refer to: * National University of Singapore * Nus, a town in the Aosta Valley of Italy * Neglected and Underutilized Species, or Neglected and Underutilized Crops * National Union of Students (Australia) * National Union of Students ...

and regularly send its electorates and students to events like the NUS Annual,

NUS LGBT The National Union of Students LGBT+ Campaign is an LGBT advocacy group that is part of Liberation Campaign Committee of the National Union of Students (NUS). The full-time officer accountable for the LGBT+ Campaign is the vice-president equali ...

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

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

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 LGBT+ Campaign is an LGBT advocacy group that is part of Liberation Campaign Committee of the National Union of Students (United Kingdom), National Union of Students (NUS). The full-time officer accountable for the ...

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