The Quay School, Poole
The Quay School is an all-through school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Poole, part of Southern Education Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Quay School in detail
The Quay School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Quay School is an Alternative Provision (AP) academy based on the south coast in Poole and is part of the Southern Education Trust. At The Quay School we aim to provide high-quality education that meets the needs of approximately 130 children and young people who are not able to access mainstream education for a variety of reasons."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at The Quay School
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 The Quay School are St Aldhelm's Academy (0.2 miles); St Aldhelm's Academy (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.6); St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7); and Oak Academy (1.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 34).
St Aldhelm's AcademySt Aldhelm's AcademySt Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, PooleOak Academy
The trust
The Quay School is one of 11 schools run by Southern Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Quay School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 38 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 45% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 18% to a further education college and 11% into work.
Who goes there
69.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 52 pupils (75.4%) received SEN support and 16 (23.2%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Branksome Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arne Avenue Top (sw-bound), 80 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Quay School are St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole (0.3 miles); Manorside Academy (0.5 miles); Heatherlands Primary School (0.6 miles); and Livingstone Road Junior School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, PooleManorside AcademyHeatherlands Primary SchoolLivingstone Road Junior School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Quay School excels at helping pupils who have struggled in mainstream education to re-engage with learning and thrive. Staff combine expert subject knowledge with deep understanding of pupils' emotional and social needs, creating calm, personalised learning environments across multiple campuses. Pupils develop strong academic skills alongside life skills, character development and clear pathways to their next steps through work experience and college connections.
Key Strengths
- Expertly designed, personalised curriculum that meets each pupil's individual learning needs and interests - enabling pupils to excel and develop high aspirations
- Exceptional pupil behaviour and strong positive relationships with staff that help pupils regulate emotions and learn about respect, kindness and friendship
- Outstanding reading support across all curriculum areas, helping pupils extend vocabulary and communication skills
- Impressive outdoor education programme developing decision-making skills and physical abilities
- Highly effective management of complex attendance issues on a bespoke basis, resulting in notable improvements
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Mountain biking, outdoor education programme, coasteering, sea swimming, local parks visits, student council, local employer engagement, college visits
The Quay School is an alternative provision academy for pupils who have been permanently excluded or are at risk of exclusion, serving ages 5-18. The school helps pupils re-engage with learning through a highly personalised curriculum and nurturing environment, with all key inspection areas rated Outstanding.
At a Glance
69.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
20 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with The Quay School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Quay School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Quay 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
- 34
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 34 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 29 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
52%
Available places
69 pupils
133 places
64 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
98.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
69
Total Pupils
35
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
2.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,454
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Quay School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Quay School
What is The Quay School's Ofsted rating?
The Quay School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Quay School?
No fixed boundary. When The Quay School is oversubscribed, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Quay School?
The Quay School has around 69 pupils on roll. 70% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Quay School?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming The Quay School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Quay School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 34 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 29 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 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 The Quay School?
The Quay School is at 160 Herbert Avenue, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4HU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)