School Chooser

Bridgewater School

Independent · ages 3-18MixedIndependent (grammar)439 pupilsSixth formNurseryManchesterSalford
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places101 spare439 pupils, 540 places
Average A level gradeC+2024/25
Pupils on roll439Census January 2024

Bridgewater School is an independent school in Manchester for boys and girls aged 3 to 18. It has 439 pupils and room for 540.

Drywood Hall, Worsley Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2WQ0161 794 1463bridgewater-school.co.ukMrs Judy Nairn headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

60 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score38.0
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 55.055.020182019: 47.447.420192022: 54.354.320222023: 54.254.220232024: 51.651.620242025: 38.038.02025
Since 2018: -17.0
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018SalfordEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11606159495038
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 838.051.654.254.347.455.044.846.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%53%61%69%40%58%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%77%88%76%72%79%64%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.223.223.513.373.904.693.924.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%7%7%4%32%39%34%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 14 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

Statistics88%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
History84%grades 9 to 5, England 52%
Art and Design90%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Geography73%grades 9 to 5, England 51%

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Biology (46% here, 82% across England), Physics (61% here, 82% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, music.
LanguagesSpanish11

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics58 entries
67%England 53%
Biology46 entries
46%England 82%
Physics41 entries
61%England 82%
Business31 entries
45%England 51%
History25 entries
84%England 52%
Chemistry24 entries
88%England 81%
Geography22 entries
73%England 51%
65%England 56%
Art and Design20 entries
90%England 58%
78%England 60%
Statistics17 entries
88%England 51%
Drama15 entries
73%England 60%
Spanish11 entries
73%England 54%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics5826%67%83%53%
Biology4615%46%76%82%
Physics4127%61%85%82%
Business3116%45%71%51%
History2544%84%84%52%
Chemistry2442%88%100%81%
Geography2236%73%82%51%
Physical Education2025%65%90%56%
Art and Design2060%90%100%58%
Religious Studies1844%78%83%60%
Statistics1753%88%100%51%
Drama157%73%93%60%
Spanish1136%73%82%54%
Music850%100%100%61%

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, 2025

22 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+32.4 points per entry
A level progress-0.11Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better13%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students221819265049
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry32.3827.8330.8734.0630.3828.98
Average A level gradeC+C-CC+CC
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS33.3329.4430.7735.2429.4429.33
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects13%8%0%0%13%13%
A level progressA level value added-0.11-0.39+0.19+0.05

A level subjects

6 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology7Chemistry7Biology7Economics6Mathematics5History5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
43%England 46%
Chemistry7 entries · 14% A* or A · 86% passed
29%England 53%
Biology7 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 49%
Economics6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 57%
Mathematics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 60%
History5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 55%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
42.534.6
Gap 7.9England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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

Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test.

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 Salford council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll439Census January 2024
Places54081% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support26%115 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%1 pupil with a plan
Boys and girls225 / 214
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll439467474478457447
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support29%23%19%19%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 18 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training78%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training78%81%86%
Education61%54%86%
Apprenticeship6%8%0%
Work11%19%0%
Not in education, work or training11%8%7%

The area around the school

Local crime rate0 per 1,000 people100% lower than the England average
Typical house price£230,000Salford
Nearest bus stop40 mBridgewater School, 9 stops within 500 m

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.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Broadoak Primary SchoolAcademy710 m479Outstanding 202498Compare
Alder Brook Primary Partnership CentreAcademy alternative provision converter740 m77Good 2023Compare
St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England830 m437Good 202491Compare
Westwood Park Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles285Report card 20269Compare
Moorside Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles609Report card 20264Compare
Co-op Academy WalkdenAcademy1.1 miles1,414Good 202325Compare
St Charles' RC Primary SchoolRoman Catholic1.1 miles223Good 202450Compare
Monton Green Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles440Good 202355Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Bridgewater School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Bridgewater School yet.

How good are Bridgewater School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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 38.0, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Bridgewater School have?

439 pupils aged 3 to 18 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 540 places, so it is 81% full.

Does Bridgewater School have an entrance exam?

Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.

Does Bridgewater School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 6 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Drywood Hall, Worsley Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 2WQ
Telephone
0161 794 1463
Website
www.bridgewater-school.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Judy Nairn
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 3-18, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Salford
Ward
Worsley & Westwood Park
Constituency
Worsley and Eccles
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 1950
URN
105992 · LAESTAB 3556005 · UKPRN 10014066

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from