Polden Bower School is a foundation special school in Bridgwater, Somerset, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports vision, hearing, speech and language and 5 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 260 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 260 (places for 200)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Helen Farnell (Executive Headteacher) Ryan Parker-Binns (Head of School) (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 42.4% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Somerset
- School reference (URN)
- 123938
Needs it supports
9 needs: vision, hearing and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Somerset (16)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Somerset (7)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Somerset (13)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Somerset (9)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Somerset (6)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Somerset (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Somerset (3)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Somerset (2)
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 Somerset 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
Rated Good, May 2024
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in May 2024.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Bower Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 4GU
Loading the map…
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
- Willowdown Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.4 miles
- Bridgwater College Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.7 miles
- Northgate Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.5 miles
By need in Somerset: Autism (17) · Moderate learning (14) · Severe learning (10) · Speech and language (8) · PMLD (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Hearing (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (2)
Questions about Polden Bower School
How do I get a place at Polden Bower 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 Polden Bower School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Polden Bower School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulty, 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 Polden Bower School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Polden Bower School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2024 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 Polden Bower School?
Bower Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 4GU, in Somerset.
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.