Forest Bridge School

Forest Bridge School continues to be a good school, demonstrating strong performance in its educational offerings and an inclusive environment. As part of the Forest Bridge School Trust, the school effectively addresses the complex needs of its pupils, many of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school emphasizes the importance of nurturing relationships, thereby fostering a sense of safety and belonging among students, which positively impacts their personal development and engagement in learning. Notably, the school's curriculum is well-structured and tailored to the individual needs of pupils, ensuring they benefit from appropriate support and resources. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in the consistency of phonics instruction and in ensuring that learning connections are effectively reinforced, which can enhance pupils' retention of knowledge. Overall, the school has a supportive atmosphere with high staff morale and strong parental support.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy, safe, and valued in an inclusive environment.
• A well-designed curriculum tailored to individual needs.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and life skills.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• High attendance rates above the national average.
• Supportive and effective governance from the trustees.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in the teaching of the phonics programme affecting weaker readers.
• Teachers do not consistently help pupils make links with previous learning.

In 2024–25 pupils at Forest Bridge School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 24.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Forest Bridge 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 Forest Bridge School had 9.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.1% 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 Forest Bridge School had 133 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; 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 2024–25 Forest Bridge School received £54,934 and spent £51,762 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £755,000 (£6,189 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.

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What is Forest Bridge School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Forest Bridge School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Forest Bridge School last inspected by Ofsted?

Forest Bridge School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Forest Bridge School have?

Forest Bridge School has 133 pupils on roll.

What age range does Forest Bridge School cover?

Forest Bridge School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are Forest Bridge School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Forest Bridge School?

Forest Bridge School is at Braywick Road, Braywick Park, Maidenhead, SL6 1BN.