Best Schools in Christchurch

How many schools are there in Christchurch?

Christchurch has 21 open schools: 12 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 5 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Christchurch?

None of the 17 graded schools in Christchurch currently holds an Outstanding rating. 15 are rated Good, so 88% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Christchurch get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Christchurch with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Twynham School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.4 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Highcliffe School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.1 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Grange School, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.8 and 33% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Twynham SchoolHighcliffe SchoolThe Grange School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Christchurch have the best SATs results?

Of the 10 primary schools in Christchurch with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Twynham Primary School (85% in reading, 94% in maths); Mudeford Junior School (85% in reading, 86% in maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch (81% in reading, 85% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Twynham Primary SchoolMudeford Junior SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Christchurch?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Christchurch selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Christchurch?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Mudeford Community Infants' School, 0.771 miles for 2024 entry; Twynham Primary School, 0.791 miles for 2024 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Mudeford Community Infants' SchoolTwynham Primary School

Source: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Christchurch?

Apply to your council - Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; or Hampshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.