St Aldhelm's Academy, Poole
St Aldhelm's Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Poole.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Aldhelm's Academy in detail
Results
St Aldhelm's Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, under its previous registration (URN 136206), its pupils had an average Attainment 8 score of 35.6 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above in the 2026 GCSE results.
Getting a place at St Aldhelm's Academy
Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, 86% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole lodged 212 appeals against secondary school offers; 185 reached a hearing and 31 succeeded (16.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to St Aldhelm's Academy are St Aldhelm's Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.6); 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 AcademySt Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, PooleOak AcademyMagna Academy
Getting there
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.
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
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
St Aldhelm's Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2026. Before that, as St Aldhelm's Academy (URN 136206), it was rated Good in March 2016. See St Aldhelm's Academy's inspections
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Results at St Aldhelm's Academy before it took its current form in 2026 (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26Published under the school's previous registration (URN 136206). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.58 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 34.7 to 35.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 17% to 28% (2023 to 2026).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Aldhelm's Academy
Term dates
St Aldhelm's Academy 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Aldhelm's Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Aldhelm's Academy is in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; for families living there:
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy
Commute and house prices
Applications and offers at St Aldhelm's Academy before it took its current form in 2026
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 136206). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 152 | 70 | 183 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 177 | 120 | 248 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 173 | 121 | 266 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2023 | 175 | 123 | 244 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2022 | 175 | 100 | 223 | 0.6 | 0 |
| 2021 | 178 | 85 | 173 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 2020 | 172 | 102 | 184 | 0.6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 181 | 86 | 138 | 0.5 | 2 |
| 2018 | 177 | 73 | 126 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 2017 | 89 | 70 | 117 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2016 | 56 | 39 | 79 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2015 | 58 | 25 | 59 | 0.4 | 0 |
| 2014 | 96 | 69 | 106 | 0.7 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.
Capacity & Demand
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.
Absence at St Aldhelm's Academy before it took its current form in 20262024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 136206). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
13.0%
Overall absence
34.1%
Persistent absence
922
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Aldhelm's Academy
Are there exam results for St Aldhelm's Academy?
St Aldhelm's Academy has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2026, under its previous registration (URN 136206), its pupils had an average Attainment 8 score of 35.6 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above in the 2026 GCSE results.
What is St Aldhelm's Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Aldhelm's Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2026. Before that, as St Aldhelm's Academy (URN 136206), it was rated Good in March 2016.
What is the catchment area for St Aldhelm's Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Aldhelm's Academy is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to St Aldhelm's Academy?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming St Aldhelm's Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
Where is St Aldhelm's Academy?
St Aldhelm's Academy is at Herbert Avenue, Dorset, Poole, BH12 4HS.