Polden Bower School

Polden Bower School has been recognized as a good school that effectively meets the diverse needs of its pupils. It boasts outstanding behavior and attitudes among students, showcasing their love for school and strong attendance. The curriculum is well-structured to support early language acquisition, communication, and reading skills, which are crucial for the pupils' educational development. With a strong vision from new leadership, the school is adapting to recent changes, and there is a notable commitment to improving the educational standards across all areas.

Strengths

• Caring and skilled staff who build positive relationships with pupils
• Outstanding behavior and attitudes among pupils
• Effectively designed curriculum that supports communication and reading skills
• Excellent transition process for children entering Reception
• Strong progress in reading and language acquisition

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in curriculum ambition across all subjects
• Some planned improvements not yet fully established

In 2024–25 pupils at Polden Bower School attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 27.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.4% of pupils at Polden Bower School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Polden Bower School had 6.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Polden Bower School had 260 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Polden Bower School received £34,130 and spent £34,129 for each of its 260 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,125,000 (£4,329 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bridgwater · Somerset local authority: places and applications

What is Polden Bower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Polden Bower School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Polden Bower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Polden Bower School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Polden Bower School have?

Polden Bower School has 260 pupils on roll.

What age range does Polden Bower School cover?

Polden Bower School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are Polden Bower School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Polden Bower School?

Polden Bower School is at Bower Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 4GU.