Our Community

Welcome to Montpelier High School, a community proud of its identity, diversity and shared achievements.

Established in 1891 as Colston’s Girls’ School, the full cohort of students and staff chose to change our name to Montpelier High School in 2021. We have a long and proud history of educating successful young women who are capable of becoming leaders, pioneers and change-makers. Our students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to achieve high ambitions for themselves and for their communities. 

As a girls’ school located in inner-city Bristol, where over 30 languages are spoken and a dozen different faiths and religions are represented, we are a thriving community. Our ever-growing calendar of events reflects who we are and includes celebrations such as Iftar in the holy month of Ramadan. We celebrate our diversity and we are unafraid to tackle the big issues of our time, such as racism, discrimination, injustice and climate change. 

We encourage our students to champion issues that are important to them and every classroom is a uniquely safe space where they can explore different views and perspectives without fear of being judged or marginalised.

We are academically ambitious for every student, but more importantly, we want them to grow as happy and fulfilled young people ready to lead and succeed in their chosen path, whatever that may be. High-quality teaching and an inspired curriculum contribute to our status as one of the highest attaining non-selective schools in the South West region. 

Alongside our academic success, we strive to develop the whole person through our Enrichment Programme, designed to broaden horizons, step outside our comfort zone and develop new interests and skills. Students are encouraged to take on leadership roles, to actively seek to shape their own future and that of the school.

We champion student leadership, empowering young people with the skills and confidence to debate complex and challenging issues, examine controversies from a range of perspectives, respecting and understanding other viewpoints while developing a respectful confidence in themselves.

High standards and high expectations go hand-in-hand with high levels of support. We encourage every student who joins us to see secondary school and sixth form as an opportunity to redefine themselves and to become whoever they want to be, both academically and as compelling individuals.

Put simply, Montpelier High School is a nurturing community of change-makers known for high-quality teaching, strong student leadership, student voice and democracy. We are committed, through the power of work ethic, to self-improvement for the benefit of all.