Briarwood School is a council-run special school in Bristol, Bristol, City of, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 167 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 167 (places for 168)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicolle Deighton (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 62.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Bristol, City of
- School reference (URN)
- 109410
Needs it supports
10 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (17)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (13)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (3)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (5)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (5)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (6)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (5)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Bristol, City of (5)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bristol, City of council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, October 2024; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (May 2023)
Inspected in October 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, May 2023).
Contact and getting there
Briar Way, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 4EA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Fishponds CofE Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
- Elmtree Grove School Ltd Independent · Ages 4–12 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.5 miles
- Pathways Learning Centre Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
All SEND schools in Bristol, City of
By need in Bristol, City of: Autism (18) · Speech and language (14) · Hearing (7) · SEMH (6) · Severe learning (6) · PMLD (6) · Vision (6) · Physical (6) · Moderate learning (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Briarwood School
How do I get a place at Briarwood School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Briarwood School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Briarwood School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Briarwood School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Briarwood School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Briarwood School?
Briar Way, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 4EA, in Bristol, City of.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.