Canford School, Wimborne
Canford School is an independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Wimborne. It has an Anglican/Church of England religious character. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in November 2025.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Canford School in detail
Canford School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Everyone who joins Canford becomes a member of our vibrant, inclusive community. Whether you are a prospective, current or former parent, Old Canfordian, past or present member of staff or a friend of the school, we all share a common bond in the continued success of Canford."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama and Duke of Edinburgh.
Coming up: an open day on Saturday 24 April 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Canford School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Canford School are Dumpton School (1.9 miles), Castle Court School (3.7 miles), Talbot Heath School (4.6 miles) and Bournemouth Collegiate Preparatory School (4.9 miles).
Dumpton SchoolCastle Court SchoolTalbot Heath SchoolBournemouth Collegiate Preparatory School
Where pupils go next
Of the 146 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 48% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 24% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 248 pupils (38.2%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Canford School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Canford School (s-bound), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Canford School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (223).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; 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 GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
11 November 2025
Regulatory Compliance
18 May 2022
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
6 March 2018
Intermediate (Boarding)
1 December 2015
Integrated
About
Canford School is a public school. Situated in 300 acres of parkland near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, south west England, it is one of the largest schools by area.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£42,945
about £14,315 a term
Boarding fees, per year
£57,219
| Boarders: per term including VAT / per annum including VAT | £57,219 a year |
| Day: per term including VAT / per annum including VAT | £42,945 a year |
Including VAT. From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
Private school fees in Dorset - 3 schools' published fees side by side
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Canford School
Read More about A transformational new chapter for Canford Sixth Form
16 Sep 2026
Read More about Summer sporting success
11 Sep 2026
Read More about Canford celebrates outstanding GCSE results
20 Aug 2026
Read More about Canford celebrates outstanding A level results and outcomes
13 Aug 2026
Read More about Showcase of pupil creativity and collaboration across the creative arts at Canford
28 May 2026
Read More about New Athlete Development Centre (ADC) partnership with Team Bath Netball
30 Apr 2026
From Canford School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Canford School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
650 pupils
680 places
30 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wimborne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wimborne
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
248
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
38.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
650
Total Pupils
372
Boys
278
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Canford School
What are GCSE results like at Canford School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Canford School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Canford School last inspected?
Canford School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in November 2025.
How many pupils go to Canford School?
Canford School has around 650 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Canford School?
Canford School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Canford School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Canford School?
Canford School is at Canford Magna, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3AD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)