Best Schools in Poole

How many schools are there in Poole?

Poole has 48 open schools: 27 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 7 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Poole are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Poole were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Canford Heath Infant School, Manorside Academy, Parkstone Grammar School and The Quay School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 40 graded schools here are rated 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.

Canford Heath Infant SchoolManorside AcademyParkstone Grammar SchoolThe Quay School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Poole get the best GCSE results?

Of the 9 schools in Poole with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Poole Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 70.2 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Parkstone Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.6 and 91% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Poole High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.1 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Poole Grammar SchoolParkstone Grammar SchoolPoole High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Poole have the best SATs results?

Of the 18 primary schools in Poole with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Canford Heath Junior School (85% in reading, 84% in maths); Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School (83% in reading, 85% in maths); and Talbot Primary School (80% in reading, 84% 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.

Canford Heath Junior SchoolBaden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior SchoolTalbot Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Poole?

Yes. Parkstone Grammar School and Poole Grammar School are state grammar schools in Poole. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Parkstone Grammar SchoolPoole Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

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

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: Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School, 2.001 miles for 2024 entry; Haymoor Junior School, 1.363 miles for 2024 entry; Heatherlands Primary School, 1.095 miles for 2024 entry; Canford Heath Junior School, 0.771 miles for 2023 entry; Courthill Infant School, 3.234 miles for 2023 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior SchoolHaymoor Junior SchoolHeatherlands Primary SchoolCanford Heath Junior SchoolCourthill Infant School

Source: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Poole?

Apply to your council - Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; or Dorset, 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.