Sedgemoor Manor School, Highbridge
Sedgemoor Manor School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Highbridge. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in May 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Sedgemoor Manor School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Sedgemoor Manor School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion is the bedrock of the school's success."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Many pupils arrive at the school with gaps in their knowledge."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders communicate the importance of attendance."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a broad and ambitious curriculum."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders at all levels are driven by a moral purpose to enrich and improve the educational experiences of pupils."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a rich range of experiences for pupils beyond the academic."
Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students' positive educational journey at Sedgemoor Manor continues into the post-16 provision."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should improve pupils' foundational skills in English and mathematics, including handwriting, by ensuring teachers consistently teach these well and address gaps"; "Leaders should use the information they gather on personal development, achievement, attendance and behaviour to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies more precisely, so that these areas continue to improve".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Sedgemoor Manor School has an education, health and care plan (95 of 95 in 2026).
Sedgemoor Manor School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Sedgemoor Manor School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22).
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 · 5 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- InclusionStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post 16 provisionExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
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 Sedgemoor Manor School
This school helps to rebuild young people's and families' trust in education. Leaders and staff unite to turn pupils' previous negative experiences of school into a positive one. Most pupils develop a love of learning. Warm, caring relationships permeate the school. Many new starters have missed large parts of their education. Staff's nurture and compassion help them to overcome their anxieties to feel safe and secure. This also helps pupils' attendance to improve compared to their time in previous settings. Pupils know that staff are always available if they need to discuss any worries. Pupils benefit from a typically well-taught and wide-ranging curriculum. Staff provide highly effective support to help pupils learn successfully. Consequently, from a variety of starting points, pupils achieve well. As a result, they are typically ready for their next stage of education. This includes students in the post-16 provision, who follow a variety of individualised routes tailored to their needs and interests. Pupils embark on a range of trips that not only link to their learning but open their eyes to potential career paths. Pupils' learning about life beyond their locality also helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Pupils' character development is rooted through all aspects of the school's work. For example, pupils take great pride in taking care of the school's wide range of animals, from lizards to goats. This helps pupils to become empathic, thoughtful citizens. Pupils develop a deep sense of self-worth, and feel recognised by staff as being unique individuals through events such as 'Diversity Rocks'. Pupils' behaviour in class is highly positive and improves over time in the school. They are polite and courteous. In lessons, they demonstrate a curiosity in their learning. Bullying is rare but leaders deal with this quickly if it occurs.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should improve pupils' foundational skills in English and mathematics, including handwriting, by ensuring teachers consistently teach these well and address gaps.
- Leaders should use the information they gather on personal development, achievement, attendance and behaviour to evaluate the impact of improvement strategies more precisely, so that these areas continue to improve.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 12 May 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at rebuilding young people's confidence and trust in education through warm, caring relationships and individualised support. Staff work closely with families to understand each pupil's needs and remove barriers to learning, resulting in rapid improvements in attendance and behaviour. Most pupils develop a genuine love of learning and are well prepared for their next steps through excellent careers education and work experience opportunities.
Key Strengths
- Strong inclusive approach with individualised learning plans tailored to each pupil's precise needs
- Excellent relationships between staff and pupils creating a calm, orderly environment where behaviour is a real strength
- High-quality careers education and work experience opportunities that prepare pupils well for employment and training
- Leaders prioritise pupil wellbeing and provide additional support beyond what is required
- Rapid improvements in pupil attendance through close family engagement and bespoke transition support
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers need to be more rigorous in insisting on correct spelling and well-formed handwriting in English and mathematics
- Leaders' analysis and checks could be more precise in some areas to drive improvements
- Limited pupil understanding of other faiths and cultures despite these being part of the curriculum
- Some pupils have patchy recall of personal, social and health education learning
- Oversight of post-16 college partnerships and their impact on pupil outcomes needs strengthening
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Ten Tors event, weekly enrichment time, work experience with local employers, voluntary work at church and cattery, student council
Sedgemoor Manor School is a special school that helps pupils with significant learning needs rebuild their trust in education. The school creates a nurturing, inclusive environment where pupils develop a love of learning and make good progress from their starting points.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with Sedgemoor Manor School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 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
95%
Near capacity
95 pupils
100 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Highbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Highbridge
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
Independent School standard inspection
Met all the independent school standards.
Independent School standard inspection
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
95
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sedgemoor Manor School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
95
Total Pupils
62
Boys
33
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Sedgemoor Manor School
Questions parents ask about Sedgemoor Manor School
What are GCSE results like at Sedgemoor Manor 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 Sedgemoor Manor School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Sedgemoor Manor School's Ofsted rating?
Sedgemoor Manor School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Sedgemoor Manor School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2026, Sedgemoor Manor School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Sedgemoor Manor School?
Sedgemoor Manor School has around 95 pupils on roll.
Does Sedgemoor Manor School have specialist SEN provision?
Sedgemoor Manor School is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Sedgemoor Manor School?
Sedgemoor Manor 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 Sedgemoor Manor School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sedgemoor Manor School?
Sedgemoor Manor School is at Blackford Road, Mark, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 4NP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)