Ferndown Upper School

Ferndown Upper School is performing well, with strong academic achievements and excellent support for all pupils. The school excels in creating a safe and inclusive learning environment, ensuring that pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs, make remarkable progress from their starting points. Staff and leadership have established a strong culture of care and high expectations, contributing to a positive atmosphere where students are well-prepared for future challenges in education or the workforce.

Strengths

• Pupils make remarkable progress from their starting points.
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.
• Positive and inclusive school culture.
• High levels of pupil attendance and exemplary behaviour.
• Effective leadership and governance with strong community relations.
• Extensive extracurricular opportunities for pupil engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum delivery impacting some pupils' progress.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ferndown Upper School attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.2% of pupils at Ferndown Upper School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ferndown Upper School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.4% of pupils at Ferndown Upper School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 10 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Ferndown Upper School received £8,534 and spent £8,387 for each of its 1,134 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £59,000 (£52 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ferndown · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Ferndown Upper School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ferndown Upper School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Ferndown Upper School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ferndown Upper School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Ferndown Upper School have?

Ferndown Upper School has 1,134 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ferndown Upper School cover?

Ferndown Upper School for pupils aged 13 to 19.

Where is Ferndown Upper School?

Ferndown Upper School is at Cherry Grove, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9EY.