Montacute School

Montacute School continues to demonstrate strong performance as a good special school for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties. The school's leadership has effectively cultivated an environment where pupils feel safe, valued, and engaged in their learning. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, designed to meet the individual needs of students, and there are numerous opportunities for practical learning and personal development. Positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute to a supportive school culture where students are well-prepared for their next steps in education.

Strengths

• Strong relationships and mutual respect between staff and pupils.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum tailored to students' communication needs.
• Effective implementation of a personal development curriculum promoting tolerance and British values.
• High-quality teaching of phonics and reading, leading to significant progress for pupils.
• Well-organized professional development opportunities for staff.
• Strong support from governors with a clear vision for the school's future.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent matching of curriculum activities to lesson aims, affecting some pupils' learning outcomes.

In 2024–25 pupils at Montacute School attended 89.6% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 30.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at Montacute School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No 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 Montacute School had 5.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Montacute School had 97 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Montacute School received £47,330 and spent £43,055 for each of its 91 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,882,000 (£20,681 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.

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What is Montacute School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Montacute School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Montacute School last inspected by Ofsted?

Montacute School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Montacute School have?

Montacute School has 97 pupils on roll.

What age range does Montacute School cover?

Montacute School for pupils aged 2 to 18.

What are Montacute School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Montacute School?

Montacute School is at 3 Canford Heath Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9NG.