School Data

Polden Bower School

Special school in Bridgwater TA6 4GU

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  • School Reference Number: 123938
  • Address: Bower Lane, Bridgwater TA6 4GU
  • Headteacher: Mrs Helen Farnell (Executive Headteacher) Ryan Parker-Binns (Head of School)
  • Telephone: 01278 496386
  • Website: poldenbower.org.uk
  • Managing Organisation: Polden Bower and Avalon School Federation
  • Type: Special schools
  • Sub-Type: Foundation special school
  • Phase: Not applicable
  • Pupil Capacity: 200
  • Local Education Authority: Somerset
  • Gender: Mixed
  • Age Range: 4 to 19
  • Admissions Policy: Not applicable

Linked Entries

Further Information

Latest Ofsted Rating

Inspected on 21/05/2024

Rating published on 23/06/2024

Overall effectiveness: Good

Quality of education: Good

Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding

Personal development: Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management: Good

Early years provision: Good

Sixth form provision: Good

All Ofsted Reports

Inspection DatePublication DateInspection TypeRatingPDF Link
21 May 2024 24 June 2024 School inspection Good
6 April 2022 27 May 2022 Monitoring visit
14 March 2019 3 April 2019 Short inspection
28 April 2015 21 May 2015 Full inspection Good
13 June 2013 5 July 2013 Full inspection Requires Improvement
7 October 2009 29 October 2009 Full inspection Satisfactory
9 October 2006 2 November 2006 Full inspection Good
20 May 2002 13 September 2002 Full inspection

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Information on this page is sumarised from two sources: EduBase, which is the government database of schools in England and Wales, and Ofsted, which is responsible for inspecting schools and educational establishments in England. You can view the full, unedited data from these providers below. Ofsted data will only be available for currently active registrations and recently closed registrations.

Unique Reference Number123938
Local Authority Code933
Local Authority NameSomerset
Establishment Number7003
School / College NamePolden Bower School
Establishment Type Code12
Establishment typeFoundation special school
Establishment Type Group Code5
Establishment Type GroupSpecial schools
Establishment Status Code1
Establishment statusOpen
Reason Establishment Opened Code00
Reason establishment openedNot applicable
Open date
Reason Establishment Closed Code00
Reason establishment closedNot applicable
Close date
Phase Of Education Code 0
Phase of educationNot applicable
Age range Low4
Age range High19
Boarders Code1
BoardersNo boarders
Nursery provisionNot applicable
Official Sixth Form Code1
Official sixth formHas a sixth form
Gender Code3
Gender of entryMixed
Religious Character Code00
Religious characterDoes not apply
Religious ethosDoes not apply
Diocese Code0000
DioceseNot applicable
Admissions Policy Code0
Admissons policyNot applicable
School capacity200
Special Classes Code1
Special classesHas Special Classes
Census Date18-01-2024
Number of Pupils223
Number of Boys140
Number of Girls83
Percentage Free School Meals47.60
Trust School Flag Code2
Trust School Flag Not supported by a trust
Trusts Code
Academy trust or Trust
School Sponsor FlagNot applicable
Academy sponsor
Federation FlagSupported by a federation
Federations Code17598
FederationPolden Bower and Avalon School Federation
UKPRN10015524
FEHE Identifier
Further education typeNot applicable
Last Changed Date15-11-2024
StreetBower Lane
Locality
Address3
TownBridgwater
County (name)
PostcodeTA6 4GU
Websitehttps://www.poldenbower.org.uk
Telephone01278496386
Headteacher/Principal titleMrs
Headteacher/Principal first nameHelen
Headteacher/Principal last nameFarnell (Executive Headteacher) Ryan Parker-Binns (Head of School)
Headteacher/Principal Job TitleHeadteacher
BSO Inspectorate NameNot applicable
Inspectorate Report
Date of Last Inspection Visit
Next Inspection Visit
Teenage mothers provisionNot applicable
Teenage mothers capacity
Childcare facilities provisionNot applicable
SEN facilitiesNot applicable
Pupils with EBDNot applicable
Number of places
Full time provision
Pupils educated by other providersNot applicable
Section 41 approvedNot applicable
SEN provision
Type of resourced provisionNot applicable
Resourced provision number on roll
Resourced provision capacity
SEN unit number on roll
SEN unit capacity
Government Office Region CodeK
Government Office RegionSouth West
District CodeE06000066
DistrictSomerset
Ward CodeE05014343
WardBridgwater East & Bawdrip
Parliamentary Constituency CodeE14001126
Parliamentary ConstituencyBridgwater
Urban/Rural CodeD1
Urban/Rural Description(England/Wales) Rural town and fringe
GSS LA CodeE06000066
Easting329853
Northing136112
Middle Super Output Area (MSOA)Sedgemoor 010
Lower Super Output Area (LSOA)Sedgemoor 010F
Inspectorate Name
Number of special pupils under a special educational needs (SEN) statement/education, health and care (EHC) plan
Number of special pupils not under a special educational needs (SEN) statement/education, health and care (EHC) plan
Boarding Establishment
Proprietor's Name
Previous Local Authority Code999
Previous local authority
Previous establishment number
CountryUnited Kingdom
UPRN10094572974
Site Name
QAB Code0
QAB NameNot applicable
Establishment Accredited Code0
Establishment AccreditedNot applicable
QAB Report
CH Number
MSOA CodeE02006070
LSOA CodeE01035115
Free School Meals99
Accreditation Expiry Date
URN123938
Web Linkhttp://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/123938
LAESTAB9337003
School namePolden Bower School
Ofsted phaseSpecial
Type of educationFoundation Special School
School open dateN/A
Admissions policyNot applicable
Sixth formHas a sixth form
Designated religious characterDoes not apply
Religious ethosDoes not apply
Faith groupingNon-faith
Ofsted regionSouth West
RegionSouth West
Local authoritySomerset
Parliamentary constituencyBridgwater
Multi-academy trust UIDN/A
Multi-academy trust nameN/A
Academy sponsor UIDN/A
Academy sponsor nameN/A
PostcodeTA6 4GU
Number of warning notices issued in 2023/24 academic yearN/A
The income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) quintile4
Total number of pupils223
Statutory lowest age4
Statutory highest age19
Latest ungraded inspection number since last graded inspectionN/A
Does the ungraded inspection relate to the URN of the current school?N/A
URN at time of the ungraded inspectionN/A
LAESTAB at time of the ungraded inspectionN/A
School name at time of the ungraded inspectionN/A
School type at time of the ungraded inspectionN/A
Number of ungraded inspections since the last graded inspectionN/A
Date of latest ungraded inspectionN/A
Ungraded inspection publication dateN/A
Did the latest ungraded inspection convert to a graded inspection?N/A
Ungraded inspection overall outcomeN/A
Number of monitoring and urgent inspections since last graded inspectionN/A
Inspection number of latest graded inspection10322230
Inspection typeS5 Inspection
Inspection type groupingS5 Inspection
Event type groupingSchools - S5
Inspection start date21/05/2024
Publication date23/06/2024
Does the latest graded inspection relate to the URN of the current school?Yes
URN at time of latest graded inspection123938
LAESTAB at time of latest graded inspection9337003
School name at time of latest graded inspectionPolden Bower School
School type at time of latest graded inspectionFoundation Special School
Current school type used for chart C6Maintained school
Overall effectivenessGood
Category of concernN/A
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
Effectiveness of leadership and managementGood
Safeguarding is effective?Yes
Early years provisionGood
Sixth form provisionGood
Previous inspection numberITS462465
Previous inspection start date28/04/2015
Previous publication date21/05/2015
Does the previous graded inspection relate to the URN of the current school?Yes
URN at time of previous graded inspection123938
LAESTAB at time of previous graded inspection9337003
School name at time of previous graded inspectionPolden Bower School
School type at time of previous graded inspectionFoundation Special School
Previous graded inspection overall effectiveness2
Previous category of concernN/A
Previous quality of educationN/A
Previous behaviour and attitudesN/A
Previous personal developmentN/A
Previous effectiveness of leadership and managementGood
Previous safeguarding is effective?N/A
Previous early years provisionN/A
Previous sixth form provisionGood

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