Meadow Bridge School, Wiltshire
Meadow Bridge School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Wiltshire. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, ended in a report card: 6 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Meadow Bridge School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 7 July 2026 inspection grades Meadow Bridge School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils arrive at the school with substantial gaps in what they know."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "The school admissions process is highly effective."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school's curriculum is ambitious, broad and balanced."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders, including the proprietor, ensure that Meadow Bridge School is inclusive."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "In recent years, the number of pupils who attend the school has grown."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders provide high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that they strengthen teachers' use of assessment information so that any gaps in pupils' knowledge close quickly"; "Leaders should sharpen their analysis of the school's work and continue developing subject leadership, monitoring and quality assurance, so they can act swiftly on priorities and ensure that curriculum expectations are applied consistently across all subjects".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Meadow Bridge School are Churchward School (2.7 miles, Good); Uplands School (3.1 miles, Requires improvement); Brimble Hill Special School (3.2 miles, Good); and Compass Community School Wheatley Park (4.8 miles, Good).
Churchward SchoolUplands SchoolBrimble Hill Special SchoolCompass Community School Wheatley Park
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Meadow Bridge School has an education, health and care plan (69 of 69 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Meadow Bridge School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is North Wall (s-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Meadow Bridge School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 18 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and bicycle theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wiltshire (34).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Meadow Bridge School
All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Many have significant barriers to learning as they have missed considerable periods of their education. From the moment they start, leaders prioritise helping pupils to come to school as much as possible. As barriers reduce, attendance improves. Pupils feel connected to staff and the school. They settle well into their education. They start to see school as a positive place to be. As they arrive each day, a welcoming smile and a friendly chat help pupils feel at ease. They develop a sense of belonging which motivates them. Meadow Bridge School offers pupils a fresh start. As a result, pupils feel valued, not only by staff, but by one another. Staff get to know pupils well, their likes, dislikes and special interests. Across the school, staff adapt learning so that pupils can join in and make progress from their starting points. Pupils at the early stages of reading learn to read using phonics. They read books that match their reading stage. Creative and ‘enterprise' learning further support pupils' resilience and curiosity. Pupils behave well in a calm and purposeful environment. Clear routines and consistent expectations support positive behaviour. Bullying is rare. Pupils feel confident staff will help them resolve any issues that occur. Beyond the classroom, pupils benefit from a rich set of opportunities and experiences that broaden their talents and interests. There is an emphasis on life skills, cultural enrichment and community involvement. Pupils participate in the John Muir and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and benefit from visits by industry experts, who bring the curriculum and learning to life. Sports day, football fixtures and celebrations all build pupils' confidence and self-worth.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that they strengthen teachers' use of assessment information so that any gaps in pupils' knowledge close quickly.
- Leaders should sharpen their analysis of the school's work and continue developing subject leadership, monitoring and quality assurance, so they can act swiftly on priorities and ensure that curriculum expectations are applied consistently across all subjects.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 7 July 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Meadow Bridge School excels at giving pupils a genuine fresh start. Staff build warm, trusting relationships that help pupils rediscover their love of learning and develop real confidence. The school balances academic progress with important life skills, ensuring pupils are well-prepared for their next steps in education or employment.
Key Strengths
- Excellent transition and admissions process that helps pupils settle quickly and build positive relationships with staff
- Well-designed curriculum with ambitious 'pillars' that develops both academic skills and essential life skills
- Highly effective behaviour support strategies including movement breaks and sensory resources that help pupils regulate emotions
- Strong focus on pupils' wellbeing and personal development with high-quality pastoral care
- Good attendance improvements through careful tracking and family support plans
Areas for Improvement
- Some assessment checks in certain subjects don't identify knowledge gaps well enough, causing some pupils to fall behind
- Leaders' oversight of behaviour patterns across the school could be more precise to enable quicker intervention
- Need to strengthen consistency of curriculum delivery across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
John Muir Awards, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, sports day, football fixtures, skill zone activities (sports, coding, Dungeons and Dragons), water safety training, workshops on British values and social issues, careers guidance with local business partnerships
Meadow Bridge School is a special educational needs school that provides a welcoming fresh start for pupils with significant barriers to learning. The school creates a positive, inclusive culture where pupils develop confidence and reconnect with learning through relationships built on trust.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Meadow Bridge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 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
77%
Available places
69 pupils
90 places
21 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wiltshire
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wiltshire
Across Wiltshire council
Places available
6,150
Applications
4,934
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Wiltshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
Independent school standard inspection - first
Met all the independent school standards.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
69
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Meadow Bridge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
69
Total Pupils
41
Boys
28
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Meadow Bridge School
Questions parents ask about Meadow Bridge School
What is Meadow Bridge School's Ofsted rating?
Meadow Bridge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Meadow Bridge School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2023, Meadow Bridge School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Meadow Bridge School?
Meadow Bridge School has around 69 pupils on roll.
Does Meadow Bridge School have specialist SEN provision?
Meadow Bridge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Meadow Bridge School?
Meadow Bridge School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Meadow Bridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Wiltshire is 4 (the median across 265 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Meadow Bridge School?
Meadow Bridge School is at The Old School House, High Street, Wiltshire, SN6 6DD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)