The Bridge Family of Schools are a group of five schools within South Gloucestershire who have common core belief, values and vision for the education of the children that we serve.

We are all within a 20 minute radius of each other and work to the benefit of the children and people who work within the schools.

The strategic lead of the Bridge Family of Schools is Paul Smith (Executive Headteacher for Almondsbury and St Peter’s) and deputy lead is Amanda Flanagan (Executive Headteacher of The Manor and Oldbury). They work together to support the school and provide the strategic direction of the family of schools. There is a Steering Group of Governors from each school who oversee the work taking place.

The main focus of the family of schools is to ensure the retention of each school’s individual identity whilst working towards the family of schools’ strategic plan and common principles particularly in quality of education.

Bridge Family of Schools’ strategic priorities are developing the following:

• Stronger Together – Leadership and management and developing people
• A Sense of belonging – Inclusion and SEMH
• Removing Barriers, Realising Potential – Quality of Education improvement.

These ambitions are based on our shared Christian values as all church schools.

To support the strategic plan, a comprehensive School Improvement offer plan is in place to support the development of the people to enable them to strive for the best for the children.

We have people with great expertise in their subjects who are able to support others in the schools to raise the standards and quality of education in each school. These expert leaders share their practice, knowledge and offer additional bespoke support (see the School Improvement Offer below).

Our shared Bridge pedagogy is utilised in each school to support the teaching in classrooms across the Bridge. These principles are based on Rosenshine’s work. However, we are not expecting each school to be carbon copies of each other. Therefore, although our curriculum offer is similar, we all have difference which are unique to the individual schools and their contexts.

One aspect of the Bridge Family of Schools’ work to bring the children together and provide them with wider experiences is our Character Education. So far, we have developed a set of activities linked to our curriculum and opportunities for greater personal development.  These are called ‘The Bridge Awards’. It also offers the opportunity to bring our children together to meet and work with each other including sporting events, singing festivals, STEM days and a virtual art gallery – all of which have been very successful.

Please follow the links below to view our artwork

St Peter’s CE Primary and Almondsbury CE Primary - https://www.artsteps.com/view/645e5113b529326748df5c72

The Manor CE Primary and St Chad’s CE Primary - https://www.artsteps.com/view/645e4f18d246f96edd6e3ff9

If you would like more information about our work or would like to consider utilising either some or all of our School Improvement Offer, please email Paul.Smith@almondsburyprimary.co.uk

There are opportunities for the children of The Bridge Family of Schools to come together and share exciting projects and events. One of these was over Christmas 2023 when all Year 5 pupils were able to sing in a massed choir at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway.

There were many other activities last academic year, such as Bridge Cross Country for Year 4, Year 1 Big Bounce, Year 2 singing festival, poetry competition judged by lecturers at UWE in English plus many more. The children had a fantastic time joining in with these activities and meeting other children from all of the Bridge Family of Schools.