Silver Bridge School, Taunton
Silver Bridge School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 19 in Taunton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Silver Bridge School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Silver Bridge School are The Sky Academy (1.2 miles); Selworthy Special School (1.5 miles, Good); Park House School (1.6 miles, Good); and Cambian Somerset School (2.4 miles, Good).
The Sky AcademySelworthy Special SchoolPark House SchoolCambian Somerset School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Silver Bridge School has an education, health and care plan (58 of 58 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Taunton Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tauntfield Close (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Silver Bridge School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 482 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22), as is usual near a town centre.
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 years 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Inclusivity is at the heart of Silver Bridge School. Pupils accept one another as unique individuals. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. Adults understand pupils' needs well and provide effective support. Relationships between pupils and adults are warm. Pupils say that staff are kind and care about them. For many pupils, this is the first time they have had a positive experience in school. They feel safe and happy.
Pupils make significant improvements in their social and emotional well-being from when they first join the school. The longer pupils are at the school, the more confident they become. Where needed, adults support pupils to manage their behaviour and emotions.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a curriculum which is broad and ambitious. Pupils' interests are at its core. The school's 'three phased' approach supports pupils to be ready to learn through 'enterprise projects'. This provides a breadth of learning and enrichment activities that motivates pupils to engage well. For example, the pupils made a visit to see a 'Banksy' artwork and a trip to a local zoo, which enhances learning for all pupils and strengthens their interests. Pupils are equally proud of their 'beautiful work' and project books. Despite this, the academic curriculum does not always make clear what essential knowledge pupils must learn before tackling more complex concepts. This means that some pupils find it more difficult to build their knowledge.
Reading is a priority. The school has thought carefully about how to engage pupils in reading. This includes access to audio books as well as books from the local library. The systematic approach to teaching pupils in the earlier stages of reading supports them to become better readers. Assessment information identifies gaps pupils have. Additional support helps pupils to catch up. However, the reading curriculum beyond phonics has not been carefully considered. It is not clear how pupils' reading knowledge builds through their project work.
From Ofsted's May 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 May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
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 Silver Bridge School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Silver Bridge School, with their latest published grades:
- Chuggers Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 28 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- St George's Pre-School (Taunton) - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 28 November 2022: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Spring Hollies - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 15 January 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Explorers Day Nursery and Preschool - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 19 July 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- YMCA Taunton Pre-School - Day nursery, 0.7 milesOfsted, 2 May 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 38
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 26 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
58 pupils
66 places
8 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
58
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Silver 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
58
Total Pupils
35
Boys
23
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Silver Bridge School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Silver Bridge School
What is Silver Bridge School's Ofsted rating?
Silver Bridge School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
Does Silver Bridge School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in May 2024, Silver Bridge School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Silver Bridge School?
Silver Bridge School has around 58 pupils on roll.
Does Silver Bridge School have specialist SEN provision?
Silver Bridge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How many road collisions happen near Silver Bridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 38 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 26 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Silver Bridge School?
Silver Bridge School is at 54 Silver Street, Taunton, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3DL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)