Avonbourne Boys' Academy, Bournemouth
Avonbourne Boys' Academy is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Bournemouth, part of United Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 12 schools in Bournemouth with published results, and 1,396th of 3,298 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Avonbourne Boys' Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Avonbourne Boys' Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.2 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 47 across England.
57% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 56% in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 47.3.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.28: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.3, against 49 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Spanish.
Getting a place at Avonbourne Boys' Academy
For September 2026 entry, 146 families put Avonbourne Boys' Academy as their first choice and 526 named it as one of their preferences, for 169 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 16 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Avonbourne Boys' Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Avonbourne Boys' Academy are Avonbourne Girls Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54); The Bishop of Winchester Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.1); Bournemouth School for Girls (1.4 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 72); and Bournemouth School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 71.2).
Avonbourne Boys' Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Avonbourne Girls AcademyThe Bishop of Winchester AcademyBournemouth School for GirlsBournemouth School
The trust
Avonbourne Boys' Academy is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 135 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
25.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (59%), Mixed (8%) and Black (7%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Pokesdown Rail Station, about 890 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Avonbourne School (sw-bound), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Avonbourne Boys' Academy issued 110 suspensions, 13.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Avonbourne Boys' Academy are Avonwood Primary School (0.1 miles), St James' Church of England Primary Academy (0.5 miles), Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles) and Pokesdown Community Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Avonwood Primary SchoolSt James' Church of England Primary AcademyCorpus Christi Catholic Primary SchoolPokesdown Community Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole published that the last place for 2026 entry went to a family 1.663 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
27.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.45 to 0.28 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 49.4 to 47.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 57% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 47.4 | 56.5% |
| Disadvantaged(32) | - | 42.3 | 50% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(106) | - | 49.0 | 58.5% |
| Boys(138) | - | 47.4 | 56.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(35) | - | 48.8 | 48.6% |
| Non mobile(125) | - | 48.4 | 58.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 135 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.24%
Exclusion rate
110
Suspensions
13.10%
Suspension rate
36 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 840 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Avonbourne Boys' Academy
Term dates
Avonbourne Boys' Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Avonbourne Boys' Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Avonbourne Boys' Academy is in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; for families living there:
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 24 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Avonbourne Boys' Academy
Will you get a place at Avonbourne Boys' Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Avonbourne Boys' Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Avonbourne Boys' Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Avonbourne Boys' Academy.
- Last distance offered for 2026 entry, from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Avonbourne Boys' Academy for 2020 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
839 pupils
889 places
50 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bournemouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bournemouth
Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council
Places available
4,119
Applications
3,624
Got 1st preference
86.4%
Got preferred school
96.9%
All secondary applications across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
170
SEN Support
28
EHC Plans
23.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
846
Total Pupils
846
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
50
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,487
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,251
Per pupil
£6464k
Total funding
£239k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
870
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Avonbourne Boys' Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Avonbourne Boys' Academy
What are GCSE results like at Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Avonbourne Boys' Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 47.4. 57% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Avonbourne Boys' Academy's Ofsted rating?
Avonbourne Boys' Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
How close to Avonbourne Boys' Academy do you need to live?
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole published for September 2026 entry that the last place offered at Avonbourne Boys' Academy on distance went to a family 1.663 miles away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Avonbourne Boys' Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 889 places.
How big are the classes at Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Classes at Avonbourne Boys' Academy average 17.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Avonbourne Boys' Academy has around 846 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Avonbourne Boys' Academy in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Avonbourne Boys' Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 24 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Avonbourne Boys' Academy?
Avonbourne Boys' Academy is at Harewood Avenue, Bournemouth, BH7 6NZ.
Sources: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)