St Aldhelm's Academy, Poole

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades St Aldhelm's Academy on 6 areas: 5 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "While pupils' attendance has improved over time, it remains below national averages, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching is not consistently effective."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "It is too soon to see widespread and sustained impact of the school's work to improve inclusive practice."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The school has experienced a significant period of turbulence, with multiple changes in trust and school leadership."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Pupils do not consistently feel a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils do not achieve as well as they should by the end of Year 11."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must ensure that there is a clear and coherent approach to closing gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, including vocabulary, spelling and handwriting"; "Leaders must ensure that pupils' attainment increases at the end of key stage 4, so that pupils are better prepared for their next stage of education, employment or training"; "Leaders must ensure that staff teach curriculum content effectively and check carefully that pupils understand before they move on to new learning, so that they build knowledge and understanding over time and achieve more highly"; "Leaders must ensure that the work pupils complete is appropriately ambitious and matched to their needs"; "Leaders must strengthen their oversight and impact of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the classroom to ensure that adaptations to the curriculum are delivered consistently well so that these pupils make stronger progress from their starting points"; "Leaders must strengthen their work to improve the behaviour of those pupils who repeatedly do not meet the school's expectations"; "Leaders must ensure that improvements to attendance, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are sustained over time"; "Leaders must ensure that the programme for pastoral care and personal development is delivered consistently well, so that all pupils are able to be build positive and trusting relationships with staff".

In 2026, pupils at St Aldhelm's Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.2 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 56% in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and 47% in England.

That is up from 33.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.58: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.7, against 40 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Hospitality and Catering.

For September 2026 entry, 70 families put St Aldhelm's Academy as their first choice and 183 named it as one of their preferences, for 152 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Aldhelm's Academy are St Aldhelm's Academy (under 0.1 miles); St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7); Oak Academy (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34); and Magna Academy (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2).

St Aldhelm's Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

St Aldhelm's Academy is one of 13 schools run by Authentic Education Group Limited, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.1 in 2024/25.

76 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Aldhelm's Academy (as of April 2026): 41% would recommend the school, 38% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (53%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (26%).

Of the 164 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

45.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Branksome Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Aldhelms Academy (se-bound), 150 metres away.

In 2024/25, St Aldhelm's Academy issued 959 suspensions, 114 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Aldhelm's Academy are Manorside Academy (0.3 miles); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole (0.5 miles); Livingstone Road Junior School (0.7 miles); and Livingstone Road Infant School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.