Ferndown Middle School

This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Ferndown Middle School, inspected in January 2018.

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 Middle School attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.6% 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, 7.0% of pupils at Ferndown 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 Ferndown Middle School had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.9% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Ferndown Middle School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 Ferndown Middle School received £7,826 and spent £8,360 for each of its 613 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £405,000 (£660 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Southern Education Trust, income was £12,981 and spending £13,303 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 Ferndown · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Ferndown Middle School is part of Southern Education Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Ferndown First School Ferndown
• Parley First School Ferndown
• Winton Primary School Bournemouth
• Broadstone Middle School Broadstone
• Broadstone First School Broadstone
• Harbour School Dorset
• Wyvern Academy Weymouth
• The Harbour School Portsmouth
• The Wymering School Portsmouth

What is Ferndown Middle School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ferndown Middle School is Good, from an inspection in January 2018 of its predecessor, Ferndown Middle School.

When was Ferndown Middle School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ferndown Middle School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Ferndown Middle School have?

Ferndown Middle School has 600 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ferndown Middle School cover?

Ferndown Middle School for pupils aged 9 to 13.

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

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ferndown Middle School?

Ferndown Middle School is at Peter Grant Way, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9UP.