St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School continues to reflect a strong performance as a good school, demonstrating a positive learning environment characterized by kindness, hard work, and respect for differences among pupils. The school fosters a sense of safety and community where bullying is rare and promptly addressed. With an ambitious curriculum designed collaboratively by subject leaders and teachers, pupils are supported in building their knowledge over time, leading to a calm and effective learning atmosphere. The school leadership is recognized for its moral guidance and a strong commitment to the welfare of its pupils and staff.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, friendly, and polite.
• Leaders ensure an ambitious and challenging curriculum.
• High expectations are set for pupil behaviour.
• There are positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• The school provides extensive extracurricular opportunities.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders lack detailed understanding of pupils' participation in extracurricular activities.

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 St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.1% 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 St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.0% 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, 16.9% of pupils at St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole received £7,290 and spent £7,723 for each of its 1,095 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £632,000 (£577 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 Poole · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority: places and applications

What is St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole last inspected by Ofsted?

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole have?

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole has 1,093 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole cover?

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.7, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole?

St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole is at Dale Valley Road, Oakdale, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3HY.