Bridge Learning Campus

Bridge Learning Campus is an all-through school with a markedly split picture. Early years and primary are strong: children settle quickly, make excellent progress, and benefit from well-planned communication, language, physical development, phonics and mathematics. Primary pupils achieve well above national averages, including disadvantaged pupils, and most attend regularly and behave well in a calm, positive environment. Safeguarding standards are met. Secondary is the main concern. Pupils' outcomes in national tests are well below average, the key stage 3 curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious or well sequenced, and teaching quality is inconsistent. Attendance is stubbornly low and persistent absence is high; too many pupils are disengaged or behave poorly, although leaders have a secure understanding and suspensions are reducing. Inclusion systems and behaviour support are recent and not yet having widespread impact. Leadership has undergone significant change, including an interim headteacher, and the trust is supporting stabilisation. Leaders know the school's weaknesses and recent work is showing early signs of improvement, but much is too new to be sustained. The secondary enrichment offer is limited, pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not secure, and careers guidance is a notable strength. The school serves a disadvantaged community with high levels of free school meals and special educational needs support.

Strengths

• Early years provision is exceptionally strong, with children making rapid progress from their starting points.
• Communication, language and physical development are prioritised well in early years.
• Phonics and early mathematics teaching are highly effective.
• Primary pupils achieve well above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, including disadvantaged pupils.
• The primary curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and delivered by skilled staff.
• Primary pupils feel safe and happy, behave well and value positive relationships with staff.
• Primary staff adapt learning effectively for pupils with SEND and address gaps quickly.
• Safeguarding arrangements meet the required standards and there is an open culture of safeguarding.
• Careers education, information, advice and guidance in secondary is a strength, particularly for pupils with SEND.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, and trust and governance support is clear.
• Recent behaviour support is more nuanced and suspensions are reducing.
• The school works effectively with the virtual school and children's services for looked-after children and those known to social care.

Areas for Improvement

• Secondary pupils' national test outcomes are well below national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• The key stage 3 curriculum is not ambitious or well planned enough, so pupils are not prepared for key stage 4.
• Teaching quality in secondary is inconsistent, with unclear explanations and insufficient checks on understanding.
• Secondary attendance is stubbornly low and persistent absence is high.
• Too many secondary pupils are disengaged and behave poorly; suspensions remain high despite reduction.
• Some key stage 3 creative subjects lack ambition and clear sequencing of essential knowledge.
• Secondary inclusion systems are recent and have not yet had widespread impact.
• Pupil premium funding has less apparent impact on secondary attendance and academic outcomes.
• Secondary enrichment is limited and disadvantaged pupils do not fully participate.
• Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not secure in secondary.
• Leadership capacity has been stretched by significant changes and improvement is too recent to be sustained.
• A small minority of pupils are reluctant to report bullying.
• Destinations after 16 are below national averages.

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 Bridge Learning Campus attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.8% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Bridge Learning Campus were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Bridge Learning Campus had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% 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, 28.1% of pupils at Bridge Learning Campus were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Bridge Learning Campus received £9,497 and spent £9,298 for each of its 1,229 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,022,000 (£832 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Amplify Education, income was £8,102 and spending £8,050 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 Bristol · Bristol, City of local authority: places and applications

Bridge Learning Campus is part of Amplify Education, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Headley Park Primary School Bristol
• Parson Street Primary School Bristol
• Victoria Park Primary School Bristol
• Ashton Gate Primary School Bristol
• Bristol Cathedral Choir School Bristol
• Cathedral Primary School Bristol
• Hotwells Primary School Bristol
• St Werburgh's Primary School Bristol
• Henleaze Junior School Bristol
• Henleaze Infant School Bristol

What is Bridge Learning Campus's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bridge Learning Campus is Needs attention, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was Bridge Learning Campus last inspected by Ofsted?

Bridge Learning Campus was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Bridge Learning Campus have?

Bridge Learning Campus has 1,202 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bridge Learning Campus cover?

Bridge Learning Campus for pupils aged 3 to 16.

What are Bridge Learning Campus's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.4, and 23% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Bridge Learning Campus's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bridge Learning Campus?

Bridge Learning Campus is at WILLIAM JESSOP WAY, HARTCLIFFE, BRISTOL, BS13 0RL.