Bidwell Brook School is a foundation special school in Totnes, Devon, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 3–19
- 151 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 151 (places for 140)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nikki Burroughs (Executive Headteacher)
- Part of
- SENtient Trust
- Free school meals
- 51.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Devon
- School reference (URN)
- 113643
Needs it supports
2 needs: severe learning, PMLD
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Devon (6)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Devon (4)
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 Devon 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
Report card, March 2026: Expected standard in 6 of 8 areas
Inspected in March 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Early yearsExpected standard
- Post-16Expected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, June 2023).
Contact and getting there
Shinner's Bridge, Dartington, Totnes, TQ9 6JU
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- River Dart Academy Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 0.2 miles
- Lifeworks College Independent · Ages 16–25 0.2 miles
- Redwood River School Independent · Ages 5–18 0.3 miles
By need in Devon: Autism (14) · SEMH (9) · Moderate learning (8) · Speech and language (7) · Severe learning (7) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (5) · Vision (5) · Physical (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Bidwell Brook School
How do I get a place at Bidwell Brook 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 Bidwell Brook School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Bidwell Brook School support?
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 Bidwell Brook School take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Bidwell Brook School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Bidwell Brook School?
Shinner's Bridge, Dartington, Totnes, TQ9 6JU, in Devon.
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.