Polden Bower School
Foundation special school · Ages 4–19 · Bridgwater, Somerset
Polden Bower School is a special school in Bridgwater, Somerset for ages 4–19. Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 21 May 2024.
Open on the map Unlock every school · £9.99
Key facts
- Address
- Bower Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 4GU
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4–19
- Council
- Somerset
- Pupils on roll
- 260 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 43.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 6.2
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 21 May 2024
Strengths
- “Polden Bower is a community hub for its families.”
- “They benefit from caring and skilled staff who build positive, trusted relationships with them.”
- “The curriculum is designed carefully to meet the diverse needs of pupils.”
To improve
- “However, being new, their ideas are not yet realised fully, particularly in relation to the curriculum.”
- “This high turnover has led to a minority of staff and some parents harbouring concerns about the management of the school.”
- “Some parts of the curriculum are not as well planned and/or as well implemented.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 24 June 2024 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 0% | 62% |
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 0% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 0.5 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What a pass unlocks for Polden Bower School
- Earlier exam results, 2022/23 to 2023/24
- Where pupils go after they leave
- Crime, sold prices and rents, broadband and transport around the school
One payment, no subscription: 3 months of every school and nursery in England.
Nearby special, independent and other schools
Straight-line distance, in Somerset.
- Bridgwater College Academy 1.3 mi No Ofsted grade
- Petherton Park School 2.3 mi No Ofsted grade
- Inaura School 4.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- Cambian Somerset School 6.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- King's College Prep 7.0 mi No Ofsted grade
- Selworthy Special School 7.1 mi School remains Good
- Park House School 7.3 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Sky Academy 7.3 mi No Ofsted grade