Highcliffe School

Highcliffe School remains a good school, celebrated for its welcoming atmosphere and the engagement of its pupils in school life. The leadership has established an ambitious curriculum, supported by knowledgeable teachers who foster high expectations for all students. While students in the sixth form feel well-prepared for their future endeavors, incidents of bullying present a concern, although the school actively addresses these issues. Furthermore, some gaps in reading support remain, particularly for older pupils, which impacts their overall learning experience.

Strengths

• Pupils are keen to share their positive experiences of school life.
• The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that promotes diversity and equality.
• Teachers exhibit high expectations and support students effectively.
• The extra-curricular opportunities are valued by pupils and sixth-form students.
• The careers program prepares pupils well for adult life.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils' individual reading needs are not identified precisely enough.
• The reading curriculum does not sufficiently promote a love of reading among older pupils.

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 Highcliffe School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.2% 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, 6.6% of pupils at Highcliffe 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 Highcliffe School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.3% 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 Highcliffe School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 2024–25 Highcliffe School received £7,089 and spent £7,277 for each of its 1,566 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £347,000 (£222 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Hisp Multi Academy Trust Ltd, income was £8,322 and spending £8,344 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Christchurch · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority: places and applications

Highcliffe School is part of Hisp Multi Academy Trust Ltd, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Tanners Brook Primary School Southampton
• Carisbrooke College Newport
• Medina College Newport
• Portswood Primary School Southampton
• Crofton School Fareham
• Thornden School Eastleigh
• Danebury School Stockbridge

What is Highcliffe School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Highcliffe School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Highcliffe School last inspected by Ofsted?

Highcliffe School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Highcliffe School have?

Highcliffe School has 1,519 pupils on roll.

What age range does Highcliffe School cover?

Highcliffe School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Highcliffe School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.1, and 50% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Highcliffe School?

Highcliffe School is at Parkside, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4QD.