The Bridge School, based in Ipswich, provides not applicable education, serving pupils aged 4 to 19. The school is a academy special sponsor led 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.
The Bridge School currently has around 216 pupils on roll, which is about 95% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 71.3% boys and 28.7% girls. Around 43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 32.4%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 234 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (63.9%).
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.
| Address: | Sprites Lane, Ipswich, IP8 3ND |
| Website: | www.thebridgeschool.org.uk |
| Telephone: | 01473556200 |
| School Type: | Academy special sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Suffolk |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Ms Tina Sharman |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 147162 |
Ofsted inspection date: 27/06/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 228 |
| Number of Pupils: | 216 |
| Number of Boys: | 154 |
| Number of Girls: | 62 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 32.4% | 8.2% |
| White British | 63.90% | 138 |
| Other White | 9.70% | 21 |
| Other Mixed | 5.10% | 11 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4.60% | 10 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.80% | 6 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.30% | 5 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.90% | 4 |
| White and Black African | 1.90% | 4 |
| African | 1.90% | 4 |
| Other Asian | 1.40% | 3 |
| Pakistani | 1.40% | 3 |
| Other Black | 0.90% | 2 |
| Indian | 0.90% | 2 |
| Caribbean | 0.50% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.50% | 1 |
| White and Asian | 0.50% | 1 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Unclassified | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprites Primary Academy Stonechat Road , IP2 0SA | 3out of 4 | 620 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Sprites Infants School Stonechat Road , IP2 0SA | - not rated | 620 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Sprites Community Junior School Stonechat Road , IP2 0SA | - not rated | 620 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sprites Primary School Stonechat Road , IP2 0SA | - not rated | 620 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Gusford Community Primary School Sheldrake Drive , IP2 9LQ | - not rated | 949 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chantry Academy Mallard Way , IP2 9LR | 3out of 4 | 1,901 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Chantry High School Mallard Way , IP2 9LR | - not rated | 1,901 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Sixth Form College Scrivener Drive , Pinewood IP8 3SU | - not rated | 479 yd | Academy 16-19 converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk One Scrivener Drive , Pinewood IP8 3SU | - not rated | 479 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bridge School Sprites Lane , IP8 3ND | - not rated | 0 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Bridge School Sprites Lane , IP8 3ND | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy special sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Belstead School Sprites Lane , IP8 3ND | - not rated | 76 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Belstead House Adult Education Centre Sprites Lane , Belstead IP8 3NA | - not rated | 339 yd | Miscellaneous | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Stone Lodge Academy Stone Lodge Lane West , IP2 9HW | - not rated | 2,184 yd | Academy special sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.