The Bridge School
| Type | Special School / Academy special sponsor led |
| Age Range | 4-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Sprites Lane Ipswich Suffolk IP8 3ND |
| Phone | 01473556200 |
| Reference Number | 147162 |
The Bridge School has shown significant improvement since its previous inspection and is now rated as good overall. The school provides high-quality education tailored to the needs of its pupils, all of whom have severe learning difficulties. Progress is made gradually, with skilled staff actively supporting pupils in their learning and emotional development. The nurturing environment enables pupils to communicate their needs effectively, fostering positive relationships and a sense of safety among the students. Although the curriculum is well-developed in many areas, leaders recognize the need for continued enhancement across all subjects to ensure every pupil achieves their full potential. Despite the overall strong performance, there are notable concerns regarding a small minority of parents who remain distrustful of the school. Leaders are committed to rebuilding these relationships and enhancing parental engagement. The school, which has not been previously inspected under section 5, has experienced rapid growth and development after transitioning to an academy under a multi-academy trust, with continued aspirations to improve further.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 216 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 71.3%
Girls: 28.7% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 43.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 21.8% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| 2 | 16 | 3 | 19 |
| 3 | 22 | 2 | 24 |
| 4 | 15 | 6 | 21 |
| 5 | 19 | 7 | 26 |
| 6 | 12 | 9 | 21 |
| 7 | 13 | 4 | 17 |
| 8 | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| 9 | 12 | 4 | 16 |
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 13 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 63.9% |
| White, Other | 9.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 5.1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 4.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.9% |
| African | 1.9% |
| Pakistani | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 1.4% |
| Indian | 0.9% |
| White & Asian | 0.5% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
| Caribbean | 0.5% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Early Years Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 27 Jun 2023 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2023 | School inspection: |
| 19 Oct 2021 | Monitoring visit |
Strengths
- Strong relationships between pupils and staff.
- Effective support for communication development.
- Well-structured curriculum tailored to student needs.
- High-quality teaching that promotes pupil engagement.
- Nurturing environment that makes pupils feel safe.
- Variety of extracurricular opportunities including residential visits.
- Focus on helping pupils prepare for adulthood.
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects are less well developed, impacting pupil progress.
- A small minority of parents have lost trust in the school.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 0% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -6.1 | ||
| Writing | -5.9 | ||
| Maths | -5 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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