Tor Bridge High

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

The school is serious about its core values of courage, love and ambition. These are brought to life for pupils in their everyday interactions with staff. Pupils are greeted warmly as they arrive for school, and they have learned to respond in kind. This gives them confidence which they carry with them into conversations with people they have not met before. Pupils are reminded every day about the importance of attending well and aiming high. Their achievements, both in and out of school, are recognised and rewarded. For example, pupils with significant sporting achievements wear a distinctive tie and act as sports leaders. Pupils’ achievement has improved rapidly thanks to some agreed teaching approaches, combined with pupils’ improving attendance. Generally, pupils with barriers to their learning receive the support they need in class to learn well. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully included in the life of the school and very often thrive. The school provides specialist support for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties. These pupils learn successfully alongside their peers and participate in events. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, recognise that their day-to-day experiences in school have improved dramatically in a short space of time. Behaviour in classrooms and around the school is usually positive. Any disruption to learning is managed well. Bullying is uncommon, and pupils note that better controls over mobile phones have meant that examples are now less likely. The extra-curricular offer has been expanded and includes some ambitious opportunities. For example, students in the sixth form gain new confidence through a school trip to New York. Pupils of all ages benefit from elite sports coaching through the school’s Basketball Academy. Another distinctive feature of the school is its reputation for engineering. The school uses this to build connections with employers, supporting pupils into ambitious careers in design, technology and engineering.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to strive for above-average outcomes by ensuring that the curriculum is taught consistently well, taking full account of any gaps in pupils’ knowledge or skills.
• Leaders should build on the improvements they have made to attendance and further reduce persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils.
• Leaders should ensure that the personal development programme helps pupils to acquire and remember detailed knowledge so that they are very well prepared for the responsibilities of adult life.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)