The Bridge Easton

The Bridge Easton is a special school in The Bridge Multi-Academy Trust catering for pupils aged 4 to 16 with significant cognitive, learning and additional needs, all of whom have an EHC plan. Since opening in January 2023 it has grown quickly to around 161-191 pupils. The inspection found the school performing strongly overall, with attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing all judged at a strong standard, while achievement, curriculum and teaching, and early years were at the expected standard. Safeguarding standards were met, with an open culture in which concerns are actively identified and managed. Leaders have created a calm, orderly and highly inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and well cared for. Attendance is tracked expertly, behaviour is well supported through predictable routines and warm relationships, and disruption, bullying and suspensions are rare. The curriculum is carefully sequenced and flexible, moving pupils between pathways as needs change, and leaders use detailed assessment and partnership working with families and external agencies to tailor support precisely. Personal development is a real strength, with pupils accessing a rich range of experiences, community participation, careers education and mental health support. The main areas for further development relate to consistency of practice as the school grows. Some staff are new and are still getting to grips with the school's approaches, so teaching is not uniformly adapted to meet pupils' needs as precisely as it could be. Leaders are also asked to ensure that information from their checks is used consistently to inform teaching, evaluate pupils' progress and review the impact of support strategies.

Strengths

• Expert tracking of pupil absence and effective work with families and agencies to promote regular attendance
• Predictable routines, low-distraction environments and warm relationships that reduce anxiety and help pupils feel safe
• A highly inclusive culture in which pupils' needs are identified precisely and at pace
• Precisely tailored support informed by detailed assessment and regular reviews of progress and needs
• Strong partnership working with families, social services, the virtual school and therapeutic services
• Highly effective use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, including commissioned extra therapy
• Leaders with a precise, grounded understanding of the school's strengths and improvement priorities
• A comprehensive professional learning programme equipping staff to support pupils with SEND
• Responsible and reflective governance, with trustees drawing on a wide range of information including external reviews
• A highly purposeful personal development programme with close tracking of participation and impact
• Creative provision ensuring pupils with complex needs access rich experiences, community participation and real-life skills
• Tailored careers education using workplace visits, in-school roles and work experience
• A strong focus on physical development and mental health, including mental health champions and family guidance
• Well-sequenced early years curriculum covering physical, social and emotional development
• Calm and orderly school environment where pupils behave well, are comfortable and secure, and bullying is extremely rare

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff are new and still getting to grips with the school's approaches
• Teaching approaches are not yet fully embedded so all staff make effective choices and adapt learning precisely to meet pupils' needs
• Information from leaders' checks is not used consistently to inform teaching, evaluate pupils' progress and review the impact of support strategies

In 2024–25 pupils at The Bridge Easton attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 21.0% 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 The Bridge Easton 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 The Bridge Easton had 12.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.7% 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 The Bridge Easton had 190 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; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 The Bridge Easton received £28,738 and spent £23,764 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £832,000 (£5,168 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of The Bridge Mat Ltd, income was £29,467 and spending £27,744 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 South Norfolk · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

The Bridge Easton is part of The Bridge Mat Ltd, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Fen Rivers Academy King'S Lynn
• The Bridge Columbus Chelmsford
• The Bridge Pioneer Basildon
• Pooles Park Primary School London
• The Bridge Keystone London
• Hungerford School London
• The Bridge School London
• The Bridge Integrated Learning Space London

What is The Bridge Easton's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Bridge Easton is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Bridge Easton last inspected by Ofsted?

The Bridge Easton was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Bridge Easton have?

The Bridge Easton has 190 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Bridge Easton cover?

The Bridge Easton for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are The Bridge Easton's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is The Bridge Easton?

The Bridge Easton is at Bawburgh Road, Easton, NR9 5EA.