Cambian Wing College, Bournemouth
Cambian Wing College is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Bournemouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cambian Wing College in detail
Cambian Wing College in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, cooking, gardening, Duke of Edinburgh, forest school and cheerleading.
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Cambian Wing College are Linwood School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Tregonwell Academy (1.4 miles, Outstanding); Langside School (2.4 miles, Good); and Victoria Education Centre (2.8 miles, Good).
Linwood SchoolTregonwell AcademyLangside SchoolVictoria Education Centre
Who goes there
Cambian Wing College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bournemouth Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bennett Road (w-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 562 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (223), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cambian Wing College creates a welcoming environment where students with autism feel safe and supported. The college combines high-quality teaching with therapeutic support and exceptional career guidance, helping students develop independence and progress to university or higher-level courses. Students benefit from real-world experiences like work placements, barista training, and visits to Parliament that prepare them well for their future.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding personal development curriculum covering healthy relationships, British values, and real-world experiences like visiting Parliament
- Highly effective career guidance with specialist support, university open events, career fairs, and weekly employment coach sessions
- Integrated therapeutic support where therapists work closely with teachers to help students self-regulate emotions and build independence
- Teachers use specialist subject knowledge well and support students with assistive technology tools
- Strong track record of students achieving qualifications and progressing to university or higher-level college courses
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers need to check for and correct student misconceptions in lessons more effectively
- Learning experiences should be related more to the digital world students are preparing for
- Student attendance needs to improve, as a few students do not attend lessons consistently enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Coffee shop barista training, food hygiene qualifications, work experience placements with local employers, university open events, career fairs, cooking challenges, guest talks from local MPs, visits to Houses of Parliament
Cambian Wing College is an independent specialist college in Bournemouth for young people aged 16-25 with autism, providing personalised courses from entry level to A-level. The college has made significant improvements since its previous inspection and is now rated Good overall.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Cambian Wing College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cambian Wing College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cambian Wing College 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
- 36
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 28 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
7 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
Capacity & Demand
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.
Inspection History(5)
Special educational needs provision
Cambian Wing College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Cambian Wing College
What is Cambian Wing College's Ofsted rating?
Cambian Wing College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025.
What is the catchment area for Cambian Wing College?
No fixed boundary. When Cambian Wing College is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Cambian Wing College have specialist SEN provision?
Cambian Wing College is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Cambian Wing College?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Cambian Wing College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Cambian Wing College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 28 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 7 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 Cambian Wing College?
Cambian Wing College is at 126 Richmond Park Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH8 8TH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)