The Bower Learning Partnership

The Bower Learning Partnership: A Collaborative Vision for Inclusive Education The Bower Learning Partnership was established to formalise and strengthen the longstanding collaboration between our schools. Since 2019, Polden Bower School and The Bridge School, Sedgemoor have worked in close partnership, sharing leadership, expertise, and resources to better support children and young people with diverse needs. On 1 September 2021, this commitment deepened as Avalon School and Polden Bower School entered a hard federation, further enhancing our collective capacity to deliver high-quality, inclusive education. Governance and Leadership The Federation of Polden Bower School and Avalon School operates under a shared Governance Board, chaired by David Purcell. Each school within the partnership is led operationally by a Head of School. The Bridge School, Sedgemoor maintains a separate Management Committee to reflect its PRU status, while continuing to work in strategic alignment with the wider partnership. To ensure cohesion and strategic oversight, an Executive Committee has been formed, bringing together representatives from the Federation Governance Board and the Bridge School Management Committee. This committee evaluates the impact of partnership working and ensures that all schools benefit from shared development opportunities. The partnership is overseen by Helen Farnell, Executive Headteacher, who provides strategic leadership across all three schools. Her role ensures consistency of vision, quality assurance, and the continuous development of inclusive practice across the partnership.