King of Kings
Same Salford area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
Bridgewater School is a private secondary-stage school in Manchester, Greater Manchester, with a published age range of 3-18.
Private school Co-ed Ages 3-18 Sixth form No boarders
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
Bridgewater School
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Bridgewater School began in 1950 when local parents wanted an alternative school. It opened with 55 boys and moved to Drywood Hall in 1952, a former part of the Duke of Bridgewater’s estate. It remains a charitable foundation whose income is spent on education and the school.
Today it is an all-through, co-educational setting from the early years to the Sixth Form. Girls joined the Prep and Senior schools in 1968. The Drywood Hall campus now includes science, art, drama, IT, sports and dining spaces, plus a sports hall complex and all-weather 3G pitch.
Bridgewater’s curriculum takes subjects beyond the classroom. History moves from evidence and chronology in Year 7 to OCR Modern World History at GCSE and OCR History at A level. Visits include Worsley, Eyam, Styal Mill, Leeds Armouries and First World War battlefields, plus a biennial United States trip.
Admissions are direct to the school across a wide age range, rather than a local-authority secondary allocation. Entry may be from the early years, Prep, Senior School or Sixth Form, so the route is not a single 11-plus intake.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 38 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 13.3% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Salford and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 38
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 2.22
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Salford and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 3-18
- Headteacher
- Mrs Judy Nairn
- Pupil roll
- 439 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Drywood Hall, Worsley Road, Worsley, Manchester, Greater Manchester
- Postcode
- M28 2WQ
- Area
- Salford
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mrs Judy Nairn
School contact
- School phone
- 01617941463
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions email
- admin@bwslive.co.uk
- Admissions phone
- 01617941463
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Day fees
- £5,157 per term excluding VAT for Years 7-13, from September 2026
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 38 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 2.22 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 13.3% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 32.38 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 16 September 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 16 September 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
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Related pages and guides
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Bridgewater School handle admissions?
Bridgewater School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Bridgewater School?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Bridgewater School?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Bridgewater School?
Bridgewater School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 16 September 2025.