Knowle DGE Academy, Bristol
Knowle DGE Academy is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Bristol, part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Knowle DGE Academy in detail
Knowle DGE Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Knowle-DGE Academy believe that young people at Knowle-DGE will DISCOVER new learning opportunities and experiences at Knowle-DGE. We will GUIDE each pupil towards these learning opportunities and in doing this are confident that each pupil will ENJOY their learning experiences at Knowle-DGE."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Knowle DGE Academy are New Fosseway School (1.3 miles, Good); Manor Wood School (1.4 miles); E-ACT Venturers' Academy (1.6 miles, Requires improvement); and Belgrave School (1.8 miles).
New Fosseway SchoolManor Wood SchoolE-ACT Venturers' AcademyBelgrave School
The trust
Knowle DGE Academy is one of 44 schools run by Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 23 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 65% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 17% to a further education college.
Who goes there
74.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (7%).
Almost every pupil at Knowle DGE Academy has an education, health and care plan (168 of 168 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Knowle DGE Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 175 places, 169 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Parson Street Rail Station, about 0.7 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Broadbury Road (ne-bound), 240 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Knowle DGE Academy issued 52 suspensions, 31.9 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are safe and well cared for. Typically, pupils enjoy attending school. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, work hard in lessons. Pupils understand the school rules because staff apply agreed approaches consistently.
Staff and pupils form strong relationships. On occasions, when pupils get overly anxious or find it difficult to maintain self-control, staff use effective techniques to re-engage pupils in learning as soon as possible.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The trust and school work together to drive school improvement effectively. As a result, the quality of education pupils receive is now good. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, are positive about the impact the school has on their lives. Pupils are well prepared for their next stages of education and employment. The school supports teachers who are new to the profession very well. The trust is growing the governing body effectively. It delivers its statutory duties successfully.
Typically, pupils follow ambitious curriculums. They learn successfully in English, mathematics and science because staff use their secure subject knowledge to teach these curriculums well. All staff benefit from a raft of training and curriculum support, including from the trust. This means that non-specialists are equipped to teach essential curriculum content well. Pupils are further supported through appropriate therapies, well matched to their needs.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
74.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language, Autism, SEMH +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Knowle DGE Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Knowle DGE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Knowle DGE Academy is in Bristol, City of; for families living there:
- Bristol, City of's school travel policy: Home to school travel policy
- How to apply: Apply online for home school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
168 pupils
175 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bristol
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bristol
Across Bristol, City of council
Places available
4,580
Applications
4,426
Got 1st preference
84.0%
Got preferred school
96.7%
All secondary applications across Bristol, City of council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
168
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Knowle DGE Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 175 places, 169 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
168
Total Pupils
137
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
37
Teachers
4.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,579
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
19.1%
Overall absence
51.1%
Persistent absence
141
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Knowle DGE Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Knowle DGE Academy
What are GCSE results like at Knowle DGE Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Knowle DGE Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 7. 9% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Knowle DGE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Knowle DGE Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2022 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Knowle DGE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Knowle DGE Academy is oversubscribed, Bristol, City of allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Knowle DGE Academy?
Knowle DGE Academy has around 168 pupils on roll. 74% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Knowle DGE Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Knowle DGE Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 175 places, 169 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Knowle DGE Academy?
19.1% of sessions were missed at Knowle DGE Academy in 2024/25. 51.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Knowle DGE Academy?
Apply through Bristol, City of's coordinated admissions process, naming Knowle DGE Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Knowle DGE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Knowle DGE Academy?
Knowle DGE Academy is at Novers Road, Bristol, BS4 1QY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)