The Bridge School, Birmingham
The Bridge School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Birmingham, part of Forward Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Bridge School in detail
The Bridge School in its own words
In its own words: "Children attending our school will usually require augmented and modified curriculum opportunities including an overarching mobility curriculum and a sensory experiential curriculum for our more profound learners. The Bridge School underpins all of its curriculum delivery through continually developing its communication work so that pupils may access their learning in a way personalised to their needs."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to The Bridge School, a very special place where we encourage our children to ‘be the best they can be’. Creating the best learning environments, that enable our pupils to develop both their academic and social skills is paramount to our values."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Bridge School are Priestley Smith School (1.8 miles, Outstanding); The Hive College (1.8 miles, Outstanding); Wilson Stuart School (1.8 miles, Outstanding); and The Pines Special School (2.4 miles, Good).
Priestley Smith SchoolThe Hive CollegeWilson Stuart SchoolThe Pines Special School
The trust
The Bridge School is one of 6 schools run by Forward Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Bridge School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% 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 (77%).
Who goes there
58.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Bridge School has an education, health and care plan (91 of 91 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Bridge School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wylde Green Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sutton Park Primary School (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The 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 254 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Birmingham (435).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Bridge School issued 4 suspensions, 4.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2013, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Bridge School creates a genuinely happy learning environment where children feel safe and supported. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and use this knowledge to design activities that meet individual needs. The school goes well beyond the classroom with a wide range of enrichment activities and trips that help children develop life skills and confidence.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils with high levels of support and care
- Well-structured curriculum with focus on communication skills, reading and physical development
- Excellent enrichment opportunities including 'Bridge to the future' (50 activities), talent shows, water park visits and farm trips
- High attendance rates with strong family engagement and support
- Robust safeguarding arrangements and strong personal development programme
Areas for Improvement
- Support strategies for pupils need to be more precise so it is clearer what steps pupils must take to progress
- In some lessons, staff do not move learning on quickly enough when pupils have already understood the content, which can slow progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture and systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Art club, sensory club, 'Bridge to the future' (50 activities including leaf rubbing, gift wrapping, planting seeds), 'The Bridge's Got Talent' show, water park visits (bug hunting, mud painting), axe throwing, darts, zorbing, local shop trips, farm visits, picnics
The Bridge School is a happy and inclusive place where staff are ambitious for all pupils and work hard to ensure every child can be their best. The school has maintained the standards identified at its previous inspection.
At a Glance
58.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from The Bridge School
Newsletter - Summer 2026
17 Jul 2026
End of Year Letter 2026
17 Jul 2026
Newsletter May 2026
22 May 2026
Headteacher letter
27 Mar 2026
Newsletter: Spring 2, 2026
27 Mar 2026
Tiger Tags
20 Mar 2026
From The Bridge School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Bridge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Bridge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Bridge School is in Birmingham; for families living there:
- How to apply: Travel passes for 5 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 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
101%
Over capacity
91 pupils
90 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Birmingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Birmingham
Across Birmingham council
Places available
14,956
Applications
14,483
Got 1st preference
75.7%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Birmingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
91
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Bridge School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
91
Total Pupils
66
Boys
25
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
9.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,786
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.2%
Overall absence
40.7%
Persistent absence
86
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
The Bridge School
Questions parents ask about The Bridge School
What are SATs results like at The Bridge School?
Of the pupils at The Bridge School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The Bridge School's Ofsted rating?
The Bridge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Bridge School?
No fixed boundary. When The Bridge School is oversubscribed, Birmingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Bridge School?
The Bridge School has around 91 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Bridge School have specialist SEN provision?
The Bridge School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The Bridge School?
13.2% of sessions were missed at The Bridge School in 2024/25. 40.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Bridge School?
Apply through Birmingham's coordinated admissions process, naming The Bridge School 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 The Bridge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 Birmingham is 41 (the median across 517 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Bridge School?
The Bridge School is at Coppice View Road, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, B73 6UE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)