Langside School, Poole
Langside School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Poole. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Langside School in detail
Langside School in its own words
In its own words: "To enable children and adults with disabilities to achieve their full potential by providing a lifetime of sustainable support and educational services. To be the leading disability charity locally offering the broadest choice of high quality services tailored to individual needs."
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Langside School are Winchelsea School (1 mile, Good); The Lion Works School (1 mile); Victoria Education Centre (1.2 miles, Good); and Linwood School (1.9 miles, Outstanding).
Winchelsea SchoolThe Lion Works SchoolVictoria Education CentreLinwood School
Who goes there
6.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (66%), Mixed (19%) and Asian (9%).
Almost every pupil at Langside School has an education, health and care plan (32 of 32 in 2026). The most common need among them is a profound and multiple learning difficulty.
Langside School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Branksome Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Langside Avenue (s-bound), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Langside School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from February 2020, 6 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
Sixth Form
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Langside School is a warm, caring place where pupils with complex needs thrive. Staff provide individualised learning tailored to each child's needs and work closely with families through health clinics and therapy on-site. The school expertly develops pupils' independence and communication skills, with parents praising the coordinated approach that makes a real difference to their family's lives every day.
Key Strengths
- Individualised curriculums that are rich, broad and facilitate pupils' curiosity and engagement superbly
- Expert staff who work together across teaching, therapy, medical and support roles to help pupils make great progress
- Strong focus on communication - pupils learn assistive technologies, signs, symbols and gestures to advocate for themselves
- Well-timetabled consistent routines and safe environments that help pupils engage in learning
- Excellent preparation for independence and next steps, including transition awards with adventurous activities and residential experiences
Areas for Improvement
- The relationships and sex and health education policy is not complete and the curriculum does not clearly set out what will be taught and when
- School policies have not been kept fully up to date - the school and governors are starting to address this
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Music, creative arts, external clubs, adventurous activities, residential experiences, charity work, hydrotherapy, yoga
Langside School is a special school for pupils aged 2-19 with profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex medical needs. The school has maintained its good standards and provides a first-rate holistic experience where pupils thrive through individualised curricula and expert multidisciplinary support.
At a Glance
6.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Physical, MLD +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Langside School
Halloween SEND Club Night in Bournemouth
1 Oct 2026
Diverse Abilities Launches Christmas Events Programme
28 Sep 2026
Live Music, Beer and Bavarian Festivities at Charity Oktoberfest
22 Sep 2026
Embrace the Season with a Dried Flower Workshop
22 Sep 2026
Diverse Abilities Support Worker takes leap of faith for families
18 Sep 2026
Diverse Abilities ‘Just Drop In’ sessions for families at The Treehouse
17 Sep 2026
From Langside School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Langside School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Langside School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Langside School 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
- 55
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 40 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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
73%
Available places
32 pupils
44 places
12 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Poole
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Poole
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(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
32
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Langside School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
32
Total Pupils
20
Boys
12
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
22.1%
Overall absence
55.6%
Persistent absence
27
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
Langside School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Langside School
What is Langside School's Ofsted rating?
Langside School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Langside School?
No fixed boundary. When Langside School is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Langside School?
Langside School has around 32 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Langside School have specialist SEN provision?
Langside School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Langside School?
22.1% of sessions were missed at Langside School in 2024/25. 55.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Langside School?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Langside School 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 Langside School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 15 serious and 40 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Langside School?
Langside School is at Langside Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)