Heronsbridge School, Bridgend
Heronsbridge School is a special school for pupils in Bridgend.
- Estyn
- Not in follow-up
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Heronsbridge School in detail
School in Wales
Heronsbridge School is a school in Wales. Welsh schools are inspected by Estyn rather than Ofsted, and its latest report is published on Estyn's website.
What Estyn said
Estyn's report on its October 2023 inspection summarises Heronsbridge School like this:
"Pupils at Heronsbridge School are happy, safe and enjoy coming to school. They are kind to each other and courteous and respectful to staff and visitors. This stems from the highly effective values, which are well-established at the school. ‘Together we can’ is embedded in all that happens at the school and celebrated by pupils, staff, parents and all stakeholders. Nearly all pupils make extremely strong progress in their learning during their time at the school. They develop effective communication systems, which pupils use purposefully during the school day. Many pupils develop writing and reading skills appropriate to their needs. Most pupils develop numeracy skills that are relevant to their needs."
"In all aspects of learning and over time, many pupils develop valuable independence skills. A strong feature of the school is the decidedly positive behaviour of pupils and their highly effective attitudes to learning. Together with strong working relationships with staff, pupils fully engage in all aspects of the school community. Pupil voice is another strong feature of the school. Allowing pupils to influence what and how they learn is well-established at the school. Staff proactively provide relevant opportunities for all pupils to influence their day-to-day experiences at the school extremely effectively. The broad, stimulating pupil-centred curriculum is robustly planned and involves the whole staff team, pupils and parents. As a result, as pupils move through the school, their experiences broaden, are purposeful and where appropriate they gain valuable accreditation."
"Staff have high expectations for all pupils including developing lifelong independence skills. These prepare pupils well for the next stages in their lives. As a result, pupils transition to a range of post-school destinations, including college, successfully. Leadership and management of the school is outstanding. Highly effective processes are in place that support improvement planning across the school strongly. Staff are highly motivated and manage the needs of pupils exceptionally well. Staff access a robust and valuable professional learning programme. As a result, they are highly skilled and strive to continually improve their practice to better support the needs of pupils at the school."
Read the full Estyn report (school website)
Source: © Crown copyright, Estyn: "Inspection report Heronsbridge School 2023 (English only)". Quoted under Estyn's re-use terms.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bridgend Rail Station, about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bridgend College (outside), 210 metres away.
Sources: Welsh Government school data and StatsWales (OGL); Estyn; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASInspection
Schools in Wales are inspected by Estyn, not Ofsted. Read Heronsbridge School's Estyn reports.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Heronsbridge School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Heronsbridge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heronsbridge School is in Bridgend; for families living there:
Apply to Bridgend for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bridgend is 4 (the median across 61 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Questions parents ask about Heronsbridge School
What is the catchment area for Heronsbridge School?
In Wales catchment areas are set by the local authority, so Heronsbridge School has a defined catchment published by Bridgend. Living in it does not guarantee a place - when the school is oversubscribed Bridgend applies the published criteria, which usually put looked-after children first, then siblings, then distance - but it normally carries priority.
How do I apply to Heronsbridge School?
Apply through Bridgend, naming Heronsbridge School on your application. Welsh admission deadlines are set by each local authority rather than nationally, so check Bridgend's admissions pages for this year's closing date.
How many road collisions happen near Heronsbridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bridgend is 4 (the median across 61 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Heronsbridge School?
Heronsbridge School is at Ewenny Road, Bridgend, CF31 3HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)