Bidwell Brook School
Bidwell Brook School is a foundation special school in Totnes for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 151 pupils, 11 more than it has places for. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Shinner's Bridge, Dartington, Totnes, TQ9 6JU01803 864120bidwellbrook.devon.sch.ukMrs Nikki Burroughs executive headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 24 March 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 21 June 2023 | Ungraded | School remains Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
15 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. That usually means the year group was too small to publish without identifying children.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
8 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 8 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 6 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -2.6 | -9.4 | -9.1 | – | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -1.3 | -10.3 | -9.0 | – | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Devon council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 49 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for all schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Devon with profound and multiple learning difficulties provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Severe learning difficulty (58), Autistic spectrum disorder (38), language and communications needs (22), Moderate learning difficulty (13), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (11), emotional and mental health (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 151 | 153 | 154 | 158 | 159 | 138 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 49% | 44% | 44% | 42% | 41% | 40% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.9% | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.8% | 13.1% | 7.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 10.5% | 10.0% | 10.3% | 11.8% | 13.0% | 7.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 34.7% | 31.0% | 33.6% | 39.8% | 40.2% | 28.3% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 10 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2019/20 leavers | 2018/19 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 100% | 89% | 100% | 92% |
| Education | 100% | 89% | 100% | 92% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 0% | 0% | 8% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartington Church of England Academy | Academy | 0 m | 286 | Good 2023 | 81 | Compare |
| River Dart Academy | Academy alternative provision sponsor led | 280 m | 39 | No overall grade 2024 | – | Compare |
| Lifeworks College | Special post 16 institution | 340 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Redwood River School | Independent | 410 m | 14 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| On Track Education West Yarner | Independent | 0.7 miles | 40 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| South Devon Steiner School | Independent | 1.0 miles | 215 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| King Edward VI Community College | Academy | 1.0 miles | 940 | Not inspected | 43 | Compare |
| Park School | Independent | 1.1 miles | 45 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Bidwell Brook School a good school?
Bidwell Brook School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted's report card from March 2026 rated its teaching as as expected.
What is Bidwell Brook School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 24 March 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.
How good are Bidwell Brook School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Bidwell Brook School have?
151 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 108% full.
What is attendance like at Bidwell Brook School?
Pupils were in school 89.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 35% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Bidwell Brook School?
80% of the 49 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 80% say their child is happy there. Across England, 84% of parents would recommend their child's school.
Does Bidwell Brook School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Bidwell Brook School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
Does Bidwell Brook School have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Shinner's Bridge, Dartington, Totnes, TQ9 6JU
- Telephone
- 01803 864120
- Website
- www.bidwellbrook.devon.sch.uk
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Nikki Burroughs
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Foundation special school (Foundation special school, special schools)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- SENtient Trust (6 schools)
- Local authority
- Devon
- Ward
- Dartington & Staverton
- Constituency
- South Devon
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 113643 · LAESTAB 8787044 · UKPRN 10014977
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.