{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox school | name = Cotham School | logo = Cotham School.jpg | logo_size = 150px | image = Cotham School (geograph 2818702).jpg | caption = Cotham School's entrance on
es = {{Coord|51.4636|-2.6020|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dec|display=inline,title}} | motto = | established = {{Start date and age|1856}} (as the Merchant Venturers' School) | closed = | type = Secondary Academy | head_label = | head = Joanne Butler | r_head_label = | r_head = | chair_label = | chair = | founder = | address = Cotham Drive | city = Bristol | county = <!-- LEAVE BLANK --> | postal_code = BS6 6DT | country = England | local_authority = Bristol City Council | urn = 137440 | ofsted = Yes | enrolment = 1487 <small> (data from April 2018) </small> | capacity = 1480 <small> (data from April 2018) </small> | gender = Mixed | lower_age = 11 | upper_age = 18 | houses = Delta, Gamma, Sigma, Omega | colours = | publication = | website = {{URL|www.cotham.bristol.sch.uk}} }}
'''Cotham School''' is a secondary school with academy status in Cotham, a suburb of Bristol, England. The catchment area for this school is Cotham, Clifton, Kingsdown, Southern Redland, Bishopston, St Paul's and Easton.
The school shares a sixth form, the North Bristol Post 16 Centre, with nearby Redland Green School. The Cotham campus is situated in Charnwood House, although sixth form lessons also take place at the main school site. Construction on a new teaching and dining block was finished in 2018 and increased the school's capacity significantly.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cotham School Expansion|url=https://www.cotham.bristol.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=239|publisher=Cotham School|accessdate=4 June 2018}}</ref>
Cotham School is one of the few schools in the UK to have educated two Nobel laureates: Paul Dirac, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933, and Peter Higgs, who received the same award in 2013.
==History== '''Cotham School''' was established in 1856. Its predecessor was the Merchant Venturers' School.<ref>{{Cite web | last =Griffiths | first =Jon | title =Cotham Old Boys | work =Bristol | publisher =BBC | date =March 2006 | url =https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2004/06/28/cothamob_feature.shtml | accessdate =2010-06-15 }}</ref> Until the academic year 2000/01, Cotham was a grammar school. It became a comprehensive in 2001, and an academy in September 2011. A £20m redevelopment and expansion was completed in 2012, using funding from the Building Schools for the Future programme.<ref>{{Cite web | last =Weale | first =Sally | title =Bristol's Cotham school scores exam results to outshine famous alumni| publisher =Guardian | date =29 January 2015 | url =https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/29/bristol-cotham-school-scores-exam-results-famous-alumni-peter-higgs-paul-dirac | accessdate =4 June 2018 }}</ref>
The BBC drama ''Thirteen'' was filmed here in 2015.
==Notable pupils== *Tony Badger, Master of Clare College, Cambridge, 2003–14; Paul Mellon Professor of American History, University of Cambridge, 1992–2014. * Paul Dirac, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics from 1932 to 1969 at the University of Cambridge, who won the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics with Erwin Schrödinger for work on quantum mechanics.<ref>{{cite news|title=Professor's visit thrills his old school|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Professor-s-visit-thrills-old-school/story-16105202-detail/story.html|accessdate=17 October 2015|work=Bristol Post|issue=17 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110010621/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Professor-s-visit-thrills-old-school/story-16105202-detail/story.html|archive-date=10 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Wallace Fox, Professor of Community Therapeutics from 1979 to 1986 at the Cardiothoracic Institute, Royal Brompton Hospital; did important work on tuberculosis<ref>{{cite news|title=Professor Wallace Fox|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/medicine-obituaries/7692671/Professor-Wallace-Fox.html|accessdate=17 October 2015|work=Telegraph|date=7 May 2010}}</ref> * David Garmston, journalist<ref>{{cite web|title=Dave Garmston|url=http://www.radiowest.co.uk/garmston.html|publisher=Radio West|accessdate=17 October 2015}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * Peter Higgs, Professor of Theoretical Physics from 1980 to 1996 at the University of Edinburgh; received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics with François Englert for his work on subatomic particles including the Higgs boson;<ref>{{cite news | title =Look at why we loves Bristol. | work =AccessMyLibrary - Europe Intelligence Wire (From Bristol Evening Post) | publisher =Gale | date =17 November 2004 | url =http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14510995_ITM | accessdate =2010-06-15 }}</ref> *Maya Jama, TV presenter *John James, businessman and philanthropist * Martyn Jarrett, Bishop of Beverley 2000–2012; Bishop of Burnley from 1994 to 2000<ref>{{cite web|title=The clergy|url=http://worksoppriory.co.uk/clergy-pcc|publisher=Worksop Priory|accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref> * Laya Lewis, actress * Gary Mabbutt, professional footballer for Bristol Rovers F.C., Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and England * Arthur Milton, cricketer and footballer<ref>{{cite web|title=Arthur Milton|date=4 June 2008 |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/353626.html|publisher=ESPN Cricinfo|accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref> *John Mortimore, cricketer<ref name=johnford>{{cite news |title=Bristol school "reunion" in Gloucestershire team |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19510809/084/0009 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=9 August 1951 |page=9 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}</ref> * Michael Parsons, designer of bridges including the Severn and Humber Bridges<ref name=Times>{{citation |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/michael-parsons-obituary-tgxbr5sc7 |newspaper=The Times |date=1 June 2021 |page=44 |title=Michael Parsons }} </ref> * John Perry, musician and author. Guitarist The Only Ones<ref>John Perry (musician)</ref>{{Circular reference|date=February 2021}}<ref>{{cite web|title=The Only Ones|date=10 July 2014 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-only-ones}}</ref> * Greg Poole, artist<ref name="Dee">{{cite web |last1=Dee |first1=Tim |title=Greg Poole obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/11/greg-poole-obituary |website=The Guardian |accessdate=10 May 2019 |date=11 January 2019}}</ref> * Derek Robinson, novelist<ref>{{cite web|title=Derek Robinson|url=http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/122187.Derek_Robinson|publisher=Good Reads|accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref> * John Saxbee, Bishop of Lincoln 2001–2011; Bishop of Ludlow from 1994 to 2001<ref>{{cite news|title=Bristol church organist's 60 years of service marked|work=BBC News |date=20 November 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-15810157|accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref> * Julian Sedgwick, actor * John Tidmarsh, journalist<ref>{{cite news|title=A man of the World Service|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/man-World-Service/story-11254588-detail/story.html|accessdate=17 October 2015|work=Bristol Post|date=7 March 2011}}{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * Amy Willerton, contestant on ''I'm a Celebrity 2013'' and contestant in Miss Universe<ref>{{cite news|title="I was bullied at school": Bristol I'm a Celebrity contestant Amy Willerton on her time at school|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bullied-school-Bristol-m-Celebrity-contestant-Amy/story-20099417-detail/story.html|accessdate=17 October 2015|work=Bristol Post|date=19 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718115226/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bullied-school-Bristol-m-Celebrity-contestant-Amy/story-20099417-detail/story.html|archive-date=18 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Russell Wood, cricketer<ref name=johnford/>
==See also== *Education in England
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Cotham School}} * {{Official website|http://www.cotham.bristol.sch.uk/}}
{{Education in Bristol}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Secondary schools in Bristol Category:Academies in Bristol Category:Educational institutions established in 1856 Category:1856 establishments in England Category:Locally listed buildings in Bristol