West Moors Middle School

West Moors Middle School is a smaller-than-average middle school with an unusually high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including a specialist resourced provision for complex communication needs. The school has been graded as strong for inclusion and personal development and wellbeing, and expected for achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance. Leaders have created an inclusive, caring environment where pupils with SEND thrive, disadvantaged pupils are well supported, and pupils develop character and confidence through a wide range of opportunities. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Leaders identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND very effectively, so these pupils thrive.
• The school provides very effective support for children in care and disadvantaged pupils.
• Personal development and wellbeing provision is tailored well and builds pupils' character and confidence.
• Pupils are well prepared for the future through a strong careers education programme.
• Pupils uphold high expectations of behaviour and show respect and kindness.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Leaders have secured improvements to attendance and persistent absence that outpace national trends.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well ordered, and carefully planned to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Teaching is typically well developed, with effective staff training and strong subject knowledge.
• Leaders work successfully with other schools to share and develop teaching expertise.
• Governors provide robust support and challenge, ensuring the school fulfils its statutory duties.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attendance remains below the national average, and persistent absence is still high.
• In some subjects, teaching does not focus sharply enough on the most important knowledge, so pupils do not deepen their understanding as well as they could.
• Published outcomes at key stage 2 are below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, though this is partly explained by the high proportion of pupils with SEND.
• Disadvantaged pupils' performance lags behind national non-disadvantaged peers across reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders should continue to improve inclusion to achieve exceptional standards that transform outcomes for pupils facing barriers to learning.

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 West Moors Middle School attended 89.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.8% 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, 4.7% of pupils at West Moors Middle School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 West Moors Middle School had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 21.2% of pupils at West Moors Middle School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 11.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 West Moors Middle School received £9,456 and spent £10,010 for each of its 240 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £41,000 (-£169 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 West Moors Middle School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Moors Middle School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was West Moors Middle School last inspected by Ofsted?

West Moors Middle School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does West Moors Middle School have?

West Moors Middle School has 240 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Moors Middle School cover?

West Moors Middle School for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are West Moors Middle School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Moors Middle School?

West Moors Middle School is at Heathfield Way, West Moors, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 0DA.