Parley First School, Ferndown
Parley First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Ferndown, part of Southern Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Parley First School in detail
Parley First School in its own words
In its own words: "At Parley First School we believe that education should take place in a happy, safe and fully inclusive environment with equal opportunities for all and that all children should learn to value personal, religious and cultural differences. Our school strives to be at the centre of the local community with positive and effective links to the wider and global communities."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, tennis, gymnastics, multi-sports, karate, dance, Lego, forest school and cheerleading.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 6:00pm, from £3.75 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Parley First School
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Parley First School as their first choice and 135 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parley First School are Ferndown First School (0.7 miles); Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School (1.4 miles); Kinson Academy (1.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 68% maths); and Christ The King Catholic Primary School (2 miles, Good, 63% reading, 54% maths).
Ferndown First SchoolHampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First SchoolKinson AcademyChrist The King Catholic Primary School
The trust
Parley First School is one of 11 schools run by Southern Education Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
11.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (5%).
Parley First School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and autism: 10 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Parley First School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Glenmoor Road Shops (nw-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Parley First School stands in is among the 10% 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 burglary. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Parley First School issued 4 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Parley First School are Ferndown Middle School (0.7 miles) and Ferndown Upper School (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
9
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Parley First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parley First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parley First School is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 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 Parley First School
Will you get a place at Parley First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Parley First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Parley First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Parley First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Parley First School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dorset 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
103%
Over capacity
308 pupils
300 places
8 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ferndown
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ferndown
Across Dorset council
Places available
3,692
Applications
2,795
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
48
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
21.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Parley First School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and autism: 10 places, 9 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
313
Total Pupils
161
Boys
152
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,985
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,053
Per pupil
£1718k
Total funding
£50k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
10.8%
Persistent absence
249
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
Parley First School
Questions parents ask about Parley First School
What is Parley First School's Ofsted rating?
Parley First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for Parley First School?
No fixed boundary. When Parley First School is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Parley First School?
Parley First School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Parley First School?
Classes at Parley First School average 27.9 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Parley First School?
Parley First School has around 313 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Parley First School have specialist SEN provision?
Parley First School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and autism: 10 places, 9 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Parley First School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Parley First School in 2024/25. 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parley First School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Parley First School 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.
How many road collisions happen near Parley First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Parley First School?
Parley First School is at Glenmoor Road, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 8QE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)