Bridgewater High School
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Bridgewater High School is a converter academy in Warrington for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,683 pupils, 123 more than it has places for. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Broomfields Road, Appleton, Warrington, WA4 3AE01925 263919bridgewaterhigh.orgMr Keiron Powell principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 October 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
327 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Warrington | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 327 | 316 | 315 | 310 | 296 | 297 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 51.8 | 53.5 | 56.5 | 57.0 | 54.5 | 52.3 | 47.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.20 | +0.39 | +0.18 | +0.09 | -0.05 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 58% | 61% | 62% | 66% | 58% | 56% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 73% | 81% | 83% | 85% | 80% | 77% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.54 | 4.64 | 4.77 | 4.97 | 4.63 | 4.50 | 4.21 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 32% | 25% | 20% | 26% | 19% | 29% | 47% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 31.1 | 46.3 | 40.3 | 37.4 | 33.1 | 36.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 54.7 | 54.7 | 58.0 | 59.5 | 56.6 | 54.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 32.2 | 35.7 | 35.0 | 22.7 | 29.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 67.9 | 68.0 | 72.0 | 63.7 | 61.7 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 327 | 30% | 63% | 78% | 53% | 779 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 327 | 26% | 63% | 78% | 54% | 809 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 323 | 28% | 66% | 78% | 58% | 865 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 223 | 12% | 38% | 58% | 36% | 1,221 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 194 | 28% | 58% | 72% | 51% | 925 of 3,116 |
| History | 131 | 41% | 64% | 74% | 52% | 734 of 3,126 |
| French | 120 | 36% | 68% | 74% | 60% | 770 of 1,974 |
| Biology | 101 | 49% | 78% | 91% | 82% | 1,719 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 100 | 43% | 77% | 83% | 81% | 1,690 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 100 | 46% | 82% | 84% | 82% | 1,524 of 2,546 |
| Art and Design | 83 | 37% | 69% | 88% | 58% | 925 of 2,818 |
| Religious Studies | 66 | 44% | 67% | 83% | 60% | 731 of 1,825 |
| Design & Technology | 63 | 30% | 70% | 81% | 50% | 287 of 1,478 |
| Physical Education | 53 | 17% | 64% | 81% | 56% | 575 of 1,559 |
| Computer Science | 51 | 28% | 55% | 57% | 56% | 903 of 1,861 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 45 | 29% | 78% | 87% | 52% | 142 of 1,098 |
| German | 20 | 80% | 95% | 100% | 63% | 44 of 571 |
| Music | 19 | 37% | 74% | 79% | 61% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 16 | 81% | 88% | 88% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2019
33 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 33 | 95 | 101 | 99 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 30.00 | 27.15 | 30.00 | 31.48 |
| Average A level grade | C | C- | C | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 31.90 | 28.74 | 37.38 | 35.17 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 5% | 13% | 11% | 17% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.18 | -0.34 | +0.16 | -0.19 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 93% | 97% | 88% | – |
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 120 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
The last child to get a place lived 5.5 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 5.5 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 360 | 360 | 5.5 miles | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and SEN unit with 25 pupils and a SEN unit with 0 pupils, for autism.
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 Warrington with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (61), Autistic spectrum disorder (53), Specific learning difficulty (47), language and communications needs (18), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Vision impairment (7).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,683 | 1,674 | 1,655 | 1,609 | 1,547 | 1,544 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 14% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 13% | 11% | 11% | 9% | 5% | 4% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 11% | 10% | 12% | 9% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.9% | 6.7% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.5% | 4.5% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 15.9% | 15.6% | 19.9% | 24.2% | 11.5% | 11.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 8.9 | 8.4 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 3.6 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 315 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 88%, compared with 98% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 97% | 94% | 97% | 97% |
| Education | 93% | 89% | 92% | 91% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 1% | 2% |
| Work | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 5% | 2% | 3% |
After sixth form
Where the 61 pupils who left in 2016/17 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School | Academy | 1.2 miles | 879 | Report card 2026 | 45 | Compare |
| Cardinal Newman Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 1.9 miles | 808 | Good 2022 | 27 | Compare |
| Aldridge UTC Warrington | University technical college | 2.6 miles | 278 | No overall grade 2024 | 1 | Compare |
| St Gregory's Catholic High School | Roman Catholic | 2.7 miles | 1,214 | Good 2019 | 77 | Compare |
| King's Leadership Academy Warrington | Free school | 3.1 miles | 804 | Not inspected | 89 | Compare |
| Beamont Collegiate Academy | Academy | 3.1 miles | 890 | Good 2022 | 48 | Compare |
| Padgate Academy | Academy | 3.4 miles | 661 | Good 2023 | 26 | Compare |
| Penketh High School | Academy | 3.5 miles | 1,058 | Good 2020 | 54 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Bridgewater High School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bridgewater High School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymm High School | Academy | 4.9 miles | 1,937 | Good 2024 | 87 | Compare |
| Wellington School | Academy | 10.2 miles | 1,536 | Good 2022 | 84 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 62 to 76. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.15 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 327 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.10 | DfE progress measure; 327 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.04 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.08 | 2024/25; 1,708 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.05 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 327 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well above | +0.06 | 315 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Bridgewater High School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Bridgewater High School scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 62 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Bridgewater High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Bridgewater High School good at its last full inspection on 11 October 2022.
How good are Bridgewater High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 58% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 51.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Bridgewater High School have?
1,683 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,560 places, so it is 108% full.
Is Bridgewater High School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 5.5 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Bridgewater High School?
Pupils were in school 93.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Bridgewater High School?
The average class had 25.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Bridgewater High School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and sen unit for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Bridgewater High School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 97% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Broomfields Road, Appleton, Warrington, WA4 3AE
- Telephone
- 01925 263919
- Website
- bridgewaterhigh.org
- Principal
- Mr Keiron Powell
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Challenge Academy Trust (14 schools)
- Local authority
- Warrington
- Ward
- Appleton
- Constituency
- Warrington South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 December 2014 (academy converter)
- URN
- 141598 · LAESTAB 8774229 · UKPRN 10048090
- Formerly
- Bridgewater High School
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.
- 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.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Warrington council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- 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.