Preston Bridge School, Paignton
Preston Bridge School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Paignton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Preston Bridge School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Preston Bridge School are Brunel School (0.2 miles); Cambian Devon School (1.5 miles, Good); Eat That Frog C.I.C (2.4 miles, Good); and Combe Pafford School (4.1 miles, Good).
Brunel SchoolCambian Devon SchoolEat That Frog C.I.CCombe Pafford School
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Preston Bridge School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (56%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Preston Bridge School has an education, health and care plan (61 of 61 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Paignton (Paignton and Dartmouth Railway), about 660 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Christ Church (sw-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Preston Bridge School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
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 Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Preston Bridge School excels at helping pupils with significant needs re-engage with education in a supportive, caring environment where staff genuinely understand each child. Pupils make strong progress towards their EHC plan targets and develop growing independence and confidence. The school goes above and beyond in enriching pupils' lives through community visits, sports opportunities, and preparing older students for employment and independent living.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour support with individualised plans tailored to each pupil's needs - staff build strong, trusting relationships that help pupils manage their own behaviour as they get older
- Highly tailored, broad curriculum that meets the wide range of pupils' special educational needs, with strong emphasis on reading through structured phonics and high-quality texts
- Outstanding personal development programme including debating society, religious education, British values, and life skills preparation for adulthood
Areas for Improvement
- Writing skills are not consistently practised and extended across all subjects - the school plans to introduce a more coherent strategy for teaching writing
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with careful checks on pupil admission and an open, positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Debating society, swimming, rugby club visits, museum trips, zoo visits, beach trips, residential visits, work experience, industry expert sessions, cooking lessons
Preston Bridge School is a specialist independent school for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school achieves good overall effectiveness with outstanding behaviour, attitudes, and personal development.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Preston Bridge School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 37
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 30 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
9 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 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
53%
Available places
61 pupils
115 places
54 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Paignton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Paignton
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,759
Applications
1,279
Got 1st preference
79.7%
Got preferred school
92.9%
All secondary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
61
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Preston 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
61
Total Pupils
48
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Preston Bridge School
What are GCSE results like at Preston Bridge School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Preston Bridge School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Preston Bridge School's Ofsted rating?
Preston Bridge School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025.
Does Preston Bridge School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Preston Bridge School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Preston Bridge School?
Preston Bridge School has around 61 pupils on roll.
Does Preston Bridge School have specialist SEN provision?
Preston Bridge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Preston Bridge School?
Preston 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 Preston Bridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 37 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 30 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 9 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Preston Bridge School?
Preston Bridge School is at 1 Lower Polsham Road, Paignton, Paignton, TQ3 2AF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)