Elm Academy, Bournemouth
Elm Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bournemouth, part of Authentic Education Group Limited. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 27 schools in Bournemouth with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Elm Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Elm Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 87% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Elm Academy
For September 2026 entry, 46 families put Elm Academy as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 52 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 Elm Academy are Christ The King Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 63% reading, 54% maths); Heathlands Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 46% reading, 46% maths); Kinson Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 68% maths); and Kingsleigh Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 72% reading, 68% maths).
Elm Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Christ The King Catholic Primary SchoolHeathlands Primary AcademyKinson AcademyKingsleigh Primary School
The trust
Elm Academy is one of 13 schools run by Authentic Education Group Limited, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
90 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Elm Academy (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Who goes there
35.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 25.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 47 pupils (12.9%) received SEN support and 28 (7.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Branksome Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
24 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is April Close (ne-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Elm Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Elm Academy issued 11 suspensions, 3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Elm Academy are Oak Academy (0.2 miles), LeAF Studio (0.3 miles), The Bourne Academy (0.7 miles) and Winton Academy (1.5 miles).
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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Elm Academy creates a caring, inclusive community where all pupils can thrive. The school excels at developing pupils' character and values - children take on real responsibilities, engage with the wider community, and develop resilience through enriching experiences like residential visits and performances. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and make sure pupils with additional needs receive tailored support to access the full curriculum.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development with pupils taking on meaningful responsibilities and contributing to the community - choir performs at care homes, dance group at national events, and pupils actively reduced plastic use in school lunches
- Strong reading provision with carefully chosen literature to develop vocabulary and inspire wide reading across all ages
- Well-sequenced curriculum starting from early years with identified knowledge and vocabulary, clear explanations from teachers with secure subject knowledge
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND - teachers tailor learning and resources so all pupils access the same curriculum
- Positive behaviour with significantly reduced suspensions and specialist hub provision meeting specific needs
Areas for Improvement
- Early handwriting teaching lacks consistency - too many children in early years and key stage 1 do not secure effective pencil grip and accurate letter formation, slowing writing progress
- School sometimes fails to use assessment information from checks in lessons to shape future learning, allowing misconceptions to persist unnoticed in pupils' work
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with strong safeguarding culture in place.
Extracurricular Activities
Multiple residentials, talent shows, fundraising events, choir performances at elderly care homes, dance group performances, sports ambassador roles, beach awareness assemblies, visits from female construction workers and Royal Navy, zip wire building activities
Elm Academy is a welcoming primary school where pupils are motivated to learn and behave well. The school has a well-sequenced curriculum with strong emphasis on reading, though some areas need improvement in early writing skills.
At a Glance
35.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
90 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 71% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 71% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.1
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
23.9
KS2
12
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
1 unlawfully large infant class
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Elm Academy
Before and after school care
Elm Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Elm Academy.
- SC ElmAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Elm 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Elm Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Elm 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
2 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 Elm Academy
Will you get a place at Elm Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Elm Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Elm Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Elm Academy.
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Elm Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Elm Academy for 2014 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
71%
Available places
343 pupils
480 places
137 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
3,809
Applications
3,148
Got 1st preference
92.2%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
28
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
364
Total Pupils
176
Boys
188
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
21.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,688
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,114
Per pupil
£2378k
Total funding
£197k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
324
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Elm Academy
What are SATs results like at Elm Academy?
Of the pupils at Elm Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 87% did so in maths.
What is Elm Academy's Ofsted rating?
Elm Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Elm Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Elm Academy is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Elm Academy?
Elm Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 480 places.
How big are the classes at Elm Academy?
Classes at Elm Academy average 25.1 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Elm Academy?
Elm Academy has around 364 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Elm Academy?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Elm Academy in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Elm Academy?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Elm 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 Elm Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Elm Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: SC Elm (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Elm Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 2 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 Elm Academy?
Elm Academy is at Holloway Avenue, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH11 9JN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)