Bridgwater College Academy

Bridgwater College Academy is currently in special measures due to significant shortcomings in the quality of education provided to its pupils. Despite some positive developments, such as a broad curriculum and improvements in the early years phase, the overall performance in terms of achievement is alarmingly below national averages. Both primary and secondary pupils fail to meet basic standards in reading, writing, and mathematics, particularly disadvantaging those from low-income backgrounds. There are concerns regarding leadership effectiveness, attendance, behaviour, and support for students with special educational needs.

Strengths

• Strong careers provision raising aspirations for secondary students.
• Positive relationships established between staff and families in early years.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities engaging pupils across age groups.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement in key stages 2 and 4 is significantly below national averages.
• Low attendance rates and persistent absence impacting learning.
• Frequent disruption to lessons and negative behaviour in secondary phase.
• Inadequate support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bridgwater College Academy attended 90.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 15.6% of pupils at Bridgwater College Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 15 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 Bridgwater College Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 25.4% of pupils at Bridgwater College Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 16 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2022–23 Bridgwater College Academy received £7,004 and spent £7,191 for each of its 1,558 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £452,000 (£290 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust, income was £7,660 and spending £7,853 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Bridgwater College Academy is part of Bridgwater & Taunton College Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Hamp Academy Bridgwater
• Brymore Academy Bridgwater
• Otterhampton Primary School Bridgwater
• Brookside Community Primary School Street
• Stanchester Academy Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
• Maiden Beech Academy Crewkerne
• West Somerset College Minehead

What is Bridgwater College Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bridgwater College Academy is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Bridgwater College Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bridgwater College Academy was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Bridgwater College Academy have?

Bridgwater College Academy has 1,561 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bridgwater College Academy cover?

Bridgwater College Academy for pupils aged 3 to 16.

What are Bridgwater College Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.8, and 19% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Bridgwater College Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 25% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bridgwater College Academy?

Bridgwater College Academy is at Parkway, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4QY.