Pokesdown Community Primary School, Bournemouth
Pokesdown Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bournemouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 27 schools in Bournemouth with published results, and 9,595th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Pokesdown Community Primary School in detail
Pokesdown Community Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a unique, vibrant, welcoming and friendly school within the communities of Pokesdown and Southbourne on the Dorset coast. Our school has been at the heart of our community since 1899 and continues to enjoy being a part of this rich, diverse community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, cricket, tennis, gymnastics, running, dance, drama, chess, Lego and cooking.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026, an open day on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 1 December 2026. 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
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Pokesdown Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% 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 80% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Pokesdown Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Pokesdown Community Primary School as their first choice and 189 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Pokesdown Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pokesdown Community Primary School are St James' Church of England Primary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 80% maths); Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 82% maths); Avonwood Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 88% reading, 88% maths); and Stourfield Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 82% reading, 78% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Pokesdown Community Primary School.
St James' Church of England Primary AcademyCorpus Christi Catholic Primary SchoolAvonwood Primary SchoolStourfield Junior School
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 67 pupils (16.1%) received SEN support and 12 (2.9%) 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.
Staffing
Pokesdown Community Primary School had 30 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Pokesdown Rail Station, about 390 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Darracott Road (nw-bound), 160 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Pokesdown Community Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Pokesdown Community Primary School are Avonbourne Girls Academy (0.8 miles), Avonbourne Boys' Academy (0.8 miles), St Peter's Catholic Comprehensive School (1.4 miles) and Twynham School (1.8 miles).
Avonbourne Girls AcademyAvonbourne Boys' AcademySt Peter's Catholic Comprehensive SchoolTwynham School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole published that the last place for 2024 entry went to a family 0.562 miles away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
At Pokesdown Community Primary School, each day gets off to a positive start. Dedicated leaders greet pupils as they arrive. This caring and welcoming start sets the tone for the rest of the school day.
Staff take every opportunity to make learning engaging and purposeful. This helps pupils flourish academically and socially. High-quality displays of pupils' learning are evident throughout the school. They reflect the pride that pupils take in their work.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Reading underpins the school's curriculum. Leaders have carefully mapped out a wide range of literature to ensure that pupils can see themselves in the books they read. Pupils are enthused about reading in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 understand the concept of evacuation more deeply from the books they study in class. Across the school, pupils use subject-specific vocabulary well to talk about what they know.
From the start of Reception Year, children learn to read. Skilled teaching means that children gain a strong understanding of the sounds that letters make. Children use this knowledge to read and write words with growing confidence. Across the school, pupils who fall behind get extra support to help them keep up. A small minority of younger pupils do not read with the fluency expected. Nonetheless, most become competent and confident readers by the time they leave the school.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
16.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 78% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.8
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Pokesdown Community Primary School
From Pokesdown Community Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Pokesdown Community Primary School
Before and after school care
Pokesdown Community Primary School 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
Term dates
Pokesdown Community Primary School 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pokesdown Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pokesdown Community Primary 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
- 44
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 44 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 33 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
5 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 Pokesdown Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Pokesdown Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pokesdown Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pokesdown Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pokesdown Community Primary School.
- Last distance offered for 2023 and 2024 entry, from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Pokesdown Community Primary School 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
414 pupils
450 places
36 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
67
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
18.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
417
Total Pupils
224
Boys
193
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
13.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,018
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,986
Per pupil
£2324k
Total funding
£126k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
364
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
Pokesdown Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Pokesdown Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Pokesdown Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Pokesdown Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Pokesdown Community Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
How close to Pokesdown Community Primary School do you need to live?
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole publishes how far the last offered place was, in miles: 0.836 for 2023 entry, then 0.562 for 2024 entry. The cut-off has tightened over that period, which usually means demand is growing faster than places. These are the authority's own figures, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications each year.
Is it hard to get a place at Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Pokesdown Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 450 places.
How big are the classes at Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Classes at Pokesdown Community Primary School average 29.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Pokesdown Community Primary School has around 417 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pokesdown Community Primary School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Pokesdown Community Primary School in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Pokesdown Community Primary 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.
Does Pokesdown Community Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Pokesdown Community Primary School 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.
How many road collisions happen near Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 44 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 33 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 5 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 Pokesdown Community Primary School?
Pokesdown Community Primary School is at Livingstone Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH5 2AS.
Sources: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole admissions booklets; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)