School profile

Bridgewater High School

Secondary · Academy converter · Warrington, WA4 3AE

Good

Map showing Bridgewater High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#491 of 3,312

Better than 85% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Bridgewater High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 11 Oct 2022

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,683
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Keiron Powell
TrustTHE CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityWarrington
Opened01 Dec 2014
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 141598.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.55, better than England, better than Warrington48.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.81.3%, better than England, better than Warrington68.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.59.6%, better than England, better than Warrington49.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.18.3%, better than England, better than Warrington14.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths79.2%, better than England, better than Warrington64.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4327--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,683
Girls820
Boys863
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.14%
First language not English13.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,805
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.6.8%
Sixth form places2018/19200
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.151
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.63
Average class size25.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
79.9%
Chinese
7.2%
Other White
2.7%
Other mixed
2.1%
White and Asian
1.8%
Indian
1.3%
Other Asian
1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.8%
Other ethnic group
0.8%
Pakistani
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.9
Teachers (FTE)98.11
Teaching assistants (FTE)29.86
Support staff (FTE)63.69
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2594.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2585.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253.5
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.358
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.636
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.292
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.289
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)60

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWarringtonEngland
Overall absence6.6%, better than England, better than Warrington7.3%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.15.2%, better than England, better than Warrington18.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.7%, better than England, similar to Warrington3.1%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate8.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions4.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96.5%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.91.5%
Sixth form college74.7%
Further education14.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.2.8%
Apprenticeship2.5%
Employment2.5%
School sixth form1.9%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Bridgewater High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimarySt Monica's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryBroomfields Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miPrimaryThe Cobbs Infant and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Thomas' CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryStockton Heath Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryGrappenhall Heys Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.2 miPrimaryOur Lady's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.2 mi16 plusPriestley CollegeAcademy 16-19 converter
Unrated
1.2 miSecondarySir Thomas Boteler Church of England High SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.4 miPrimaryGrappenhall St Wilfrid's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Bridgewater High School

What is Bridgewater High School's Ofsted rating?

Bridgewater High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 11 Oct 2022.

How does Bridgewater High School rank in England?

Bridgewater High School ranks 491 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 85% of schools).

What are Bridgewater High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 59.6% of pupils at Bridgewater High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 55 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Bridgewater High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Bridgewater High School made 358 offers from 636 applications (1.8 per offer), and 289 of 292 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Bridgewater High School?

Bridgewater High School has 1,683 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Bridgewater High School?

Bridgewater High School had 1,805 school places in 2024/25.

Does Bridgewater High School have a sixth form?

Yes, Bridgewater High School has a sixth form with 200 places in 2018/19.

How big are classes at Bridgewater High School?

At Bridgewater High School, the average class had 25.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Bridgewater High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Bridgewater High School missed 6.6% of sessions (England 8%), and 15.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.