Ofsted: Good emoji_events #8 in Dorset public Top 27% UK

Ferndown Upper School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Philip Jones

location_onFerndown, BH22 9EY

language Visit Website phone 1202871243

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Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2016

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Students

1,030

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Attainment 8

45.7

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GCSE Rank

#8 in Dorset

#1,615 of 3,216 nationally

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Ferndown Upper School is a Community school secondary school in Ferndown, serving ages 13-19. Rated Good by Ofsted.

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School Summary

Ferndown Upper School is a community school in Ferndown, Dorset, admitting pupils aged 13-19. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 1,169 pupils on roll, of whom 23% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 45.7, placing the school #8 in Dorset and #1,615 of 3,216 nationally. 45.40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 15.1% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 24 A-level subjects. 50.8% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 19.9% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.09 — sixth-form progress was broadly average.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2016. The school's current overall rating is Good.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 17.7:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 3 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 3.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

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Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

45.7

Grade 5+ E&M

45.40%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)15.1%

Entering EBacc12.40%

EBacc APS3.53

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.34

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc8.20%

EBacc APS3.72

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.72

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

49.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc15%

EBacc APS3.82

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.57

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS4.04

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc7%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.63

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

47.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc22%

EBacc APS3.9

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.29

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

46.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS3.62

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)88%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)83%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment6%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

87%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)82%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships5%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.09

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make broadly expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*7.9%

Achieving A*–A19.9%

Achieving A*–B50.8%

VA Banding Average

Retention rate89.2%

A-level subjects offered24

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.06

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make broadly expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate95.10%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate87.30%

2022

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate88.5%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

07 December 2021

Inspection Report

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11 May 2016

Inspection Report

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23 March 2015

Inspection Report

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13 January 2015

Inspection Report

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16 September 2014

Inspection Report

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21 May 2014

Inspection Report

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09 January 2014

Inspection Report

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24 November 2010

Inspection Report

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20 October 2009

Inspection Report

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05 March 2008

Inspection Report

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01 December 2006

Inspection Report

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08 December 2003

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2016-05-11

Serious Weaknesses S5 Reinspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2014-01-09

None Legacy

Inadequate

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

3.8%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

2.9%(34 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,169 pupils. During this period, there were 44 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 3.8%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,169	44	3.8%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,179	46	3.9%	7.8%	3
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,140	52	4.6%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,161	42	3.6%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,167	52	4.5%	8.2%	2
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,023	34	3.3%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,030	86	8.3%	6.4%	3
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,042	78	7.5%	5.9%	1
2021/22 (Summer term)	966	31	3.2%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	979	59	6.0%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	997	57	5.7%	4.4%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	947	28	3.0%	3.6%	3
2020/21 (Spring term)	963	21	2.2%	1.0%	1
2020/21 (Autumn term)	979	46	4.7%	3.9%	2
2019/20 (Summer term)	876	2	0.2%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	876	25	2.9%	3.2%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	897	36	4.0%	4.2%	1
2018/19 (Summer term)	789	26	3.3%	3.1%	2
2018/19 (Spring term)	789	24	3.0%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	828	28	3.4%	3.8%	1
2017/18 (Summer term)	721	35	4.9%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	742	24	3.2%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	766	37	4.8%	3.7%	2
2016/17 (Summer term)	733	19	2.6%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	755	27	3.6%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	756	24	3.2%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 77 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 40 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 29 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 13 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 11 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 9 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils

Physical Disability 1 pupils

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Ferndown Upper School

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Dorset

The Woodroffe School

The Thomas Hardye School

Beaminster School

The Blandford School

Sturminster Newton High School

The Gryphon School