Livingstone Road Junior School, Poole

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Livingstone Road Junior School on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils' attendance has improved over time and is now in line with national averages."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school is highly inclusive."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, governors and trustees have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have prioritised pupils' mental health and wellbeing."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' outcomes in the Year 6 national tests in reading, writing and mathematics have been below national averages for some time."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Some pupils do not develop the fluency they need in reading, mathematics or handwriting."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that pupils develop reading and mathematical fluency so that they can access the curriculum as intended and achieve stronger outcomes across all areas of learning. • Leaders should carefully monitor the impact of the new approach to teaching handwriting and spelling so that they can adapt it appropriately and ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. • Leaders should ensure that the school's curriculum is delivered consistently by all staff, taking account of pupils' starting points and addressing errors and misconceptions, so that pupils learn as well as they can".

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Livingstone Road Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 61% 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 fell from 73% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 92% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole lodged 50 appeals against primary school offers; 32 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (9.4% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Livingstone Road Junior School are Livingstone Road Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Courthill Infant School (0.8 miles, Good); Heatherlands Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 69% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole (0.9 miles, Good, 76% reading, 71% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Livingstone Road Junior School.

Livingstone Road Junior School is one of 37 schools run by Hamwic Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Livingstone Road Junior School (as of April 2026): 38% would recommend the school, 63% say their child is happy there and 36% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (63%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (31%).

The nearest railway station is Parkstone (Dorset) Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Livingstone Road (s-bound), 210 metres away.

In 2024/25, Livingstone Road Junior School issued 55 suspensions, 24.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Livingstone Road Junior School are St Aldhelm's Academy (0.7 miles); St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole (0.7 miles); and Magna Academy (1.4 miles).