Polden Bower School is a not applicable school in Bridgwater, serving pupils aged 4 to 19. The school is a foundation special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Polden Bower School currently has around 247 pupils on roll, which is about 124% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 64.4% boys and 35.6% girls. Around 43.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.8%. Persistent absence is recorded at 29.6%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (85.4%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 89% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (89%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 67% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Bower Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 4GU |
| Website: | https://www.poldenbower.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01278496386 |
| School Type: | Foundation special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Somerset |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Helen Farnell (Executive Headteacher) Ryan Parker-Binns (Head of School) |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 123938 |
Ofsted inspection date: 21/05/2024
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 200 |
| Number of Pupils: | 247 |
| Number of Boys: | 159 |
| Number of Girls: | 88 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.8% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 29.6% | 8.2% |
| White British | 85.40% | 211 |
| Other White | 7.30% | 18 |
| Other Mixed | 2.00% | 5 |
| Other Asian | 1.60% | 4 |
| African | 0.80% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.80% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.80% | 2 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.80% | 2 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.40% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Indian | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamp Nursery and Infants' School Hamp Nursery and Infants School, Rhode Lane , TA6 6JB | 3out of 4 | 133 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Hamp Community Junior School Rhode Lane , TA6 6JB | - not rated | 281 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Hamp Academy Rhode Lane , TA6 6JB | 3out of 4 | 281 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Westover Green Community School Westover Green , TA6 7HB | - not rated | 1,028 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre Westover Green , TA6 7HB | 3out of 4 | 1,028 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Blake School Hamp Avenue , TA6 6AW | 2out of 4 | 56 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Haygrove School Durleigh Road , TA6 7HW | - not rated | 1,484 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Haygrove School Durleigh Road , TA6 7HW | 3out of 4 | 1,484 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| East Bridgwater Community School Parkway , TA6 4QY | - not rated | 2,255 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Chilton Trinity School Chilton Street , TA6 3JA | - not rated | 2,497 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Centre Somerset College Group Bath Road , TA6 4PZ | - not rated | 1,847 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgwater College Academy Parkway , TA6 4QY | 2out of 4 | 2,255 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polden Bower School Bower Lane , TA6 4GU | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Foundation special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Penrose School Albert Street , TA6 7ET | - not rated | 758 yd | Foundation special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Key Stage 2 Pupil Referral Unit Albert Street , Friarn Centre TA6 3RD | - not rated | 762 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bridgwater Key Stage 3 Centre Albert Street , TA6 3RG | - not rated | 784 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bridgwater Centre Albert Street , TA6 3RG | - not rated | 823 yd | Pupil referral unit | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.