Bovington Academy, Wareham
Bovington Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Wareham, part of Aspirations Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 9 schools in Wareham with published results, and 4,602nd of 14,452 across England. It was 57% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bovington Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Bovington Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bovington Academy
For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Bovington Academy as their first choice and 30 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bovington Academy are St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, 58% reading, 58% maths); Wool Church of England Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 62% reading, 54% maths); Bere Regis Primary and Preschool (3.8 miles, Requires improvement, 91% reading, 64% maths); and Frome Valley CofE First School (3.8 miles, Good).
Bovington Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolWool Church of England Primary SchoolBere Regis Primary and PreschoolFrome Valley CofE First School
The trust
Bovington Academy is one of 16 schools run by Aspirations Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Black (8%).
Staffing
Bovington Academy had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wool Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bovington First School (w-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bovington Academy issued 6 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Early years.
At a Glance
19.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 56% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 72% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
17.5
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
6
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bovington Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bovington Academy.
- Globe Fit Kids Clubs - BovingtonAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bovington Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bovington Academy is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 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 Bovington Academy
Will you get a place at Bovington Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bovington Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bovington Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bovington Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bovington Academy for 2020 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dorset 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
57%
Available places
181 pupils
315 places
134 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wareham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wareham
Across Dorset council
Places available
3,692
Applications
2,795
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
22.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
180
Total Pupils
107
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,771
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,361
Per pupil
£1013k
Total funding
£44k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
167
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bovington Academy
What are SATs results like at Bovington Academy?
Of the pupils at Bovington Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Bovington Academy's Ofsted rating?
Bovington Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Bovington Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Bovington Academy is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bovington Academy?
Bovington Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 57% of its 315 places.
How big are the classes at Bovington Academy?
Classes at Bovington Academy average 26.5 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bovington Academy?
Bovington Academy has around 180 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bovington Academy?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Bovington Academy in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bovington Academy?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Bovington Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bovington Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Globe Fit Kids Clubs - Bovington (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bovington Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bovington Academy?
Bovington Academy is at Holt Road, Bovington, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6LE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)