Winchelsea School, Poole
Winchelsea School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Poole. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, ended in a report card: 5 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in June 2022.
- Ofsted report card
- 5 of 8 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Winchelsea School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Winchelsea School on 8 areas: 5 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils."
Early years - Strong standard. "Leaders are highly knowledgeable about the foundations of learning that children require."
Inclusion - Strong standard. "Inclusion sits at the school's heart."
Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leadership and governance is highly effective."
Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's offer for pupils' personal development and wellbeing is vast."
Achievement - Expected standard. "The school's bespoke curriculum pathways ensure that pupils achieve ambitious outcomes from their varied starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is broad, balanced and includes a suitable range of subjects."
Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The sixth form has improved rapidly."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently builds on what pupils know already and demands enough of them so that pupils achieve highly across the curriculum"; "The governing body should ensure that it continues to have stringent oversight of all aspects of the school to ensure continuous improvement in this time of rapid expansion"; "Leaders should continue to enhance the post-16 curriculum by further developing programmes that provide wider learning experiences and accreditations".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Winchelsea School are The Lion Works School (0.3 miles); Langside School (1 mile, Good); Victoria Education Centre (1.7 miles, Good); and Longspee Academy (2 miles, Good).
The Lion Works SchoolLangside SchoolVictoria Education CentreLongspee Academy
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 21% to a further education college.
Who goes there
38.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Winchelsea School has an education, health and care plan (248 of 248 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Winchelsea School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Branksome Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alderney Avenue (se-bound), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Winchelsea School issued 18 suspensions, 7.7 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Early yearsStrong standard
- InclusionStrong standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- Post 16 provisionExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Winchelsea School
Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging at Winchelsea. This extends to families and staff. Everyone works in the best interest of pupils. The school's motto of 'I am, I can, I will' underpins all aspects of the school's work. Pupils have a great time there. They receive a well-rounded education. Together, pupils create meaningful and lifelong memories. The positive attitude of staff throughout the school is a distinctive feature that everyone cherishes. All achievements are celebrated. This ensures that pupils persevere and achieve great things, whether this is speaking aloud for the first time or achieving a range of qualifications. Pupils' positive experiences set them up well for what comes next. Parents recognise the life-changing work the school does. Pupils soon learn to behave very well. They receive excellent pastoral support and the specific therapies they need. Pupils speak of the positive difference the school makes in developing them as individuals. The school champions enhancing pupils' social skills. This gives them the confidence to make friends and look after themselves. Pupils know not to discriminate. Everyone is welcome. Pupils flourish as individuals as a result. Staff set continuously high expectations. Pupils achieve well through the curriculum. Many go on to college placements or the wider world of work. However, occasionally, pupils do not learn the depth of knowledge they could. Leaders know this and are already making headway to address it. Lunchtime is used well to enrich pupils' experiences beyond the academic, for example through cricket, gym membership, games clubs, music and choir. A range of day trips broaden pupils' horizons particularly well, such as visiting the coast, planning and going on the train or learning how to fish.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently builds on what pupils know already and demands enough of them so that pupils achieve highly across the curriculum.
- The governing body should ensure that it continues to have stringent oversight of all aspects of the school to ensure continuous improvement in this time of rapid expansion.
- Leaders should continue to enhance the post-16 curriculum by further developing programmes that provide wider learning experiences and accreditations.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 16 June 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Winchelsea School excels at including and supporting every child, even those who have struggled in other schools. The school's staff are deeply knowledgeable about special educational needs and work closely with therapists to provide exactly the right support for each pupil. From the early years through to post-16, children make steady progress, develop independence skills and are well-prepared for their next steps including college, employment or further training.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and attendance - pupils are well-behaved, attendance rates are consistently high, and bullying is rare
- Outstanding inclusive practice - the school successfully re-engages pupils who have struggled in other placements and provides highly personalised support
- Strong early years provision - children make rapid progress with tailored education, care practices and excellent communication support
- Highly effective leadership and governance - leaders operate with precision across all sites and staff receive excellent professional development
- Comprehensive personal development - pupils benefit from a vast, tailored offer including PHSE, enrichment activities and life skills preparation
Areas for Improvement
- Some teaching sequences do not challenge all pupils enough, particularly in a minority of cases, affecting their progress across the curriculum
- Assessment and teaching implementation could be more consistent across all pathways, particularly for some pupils in certain curriculum sequences
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all legal requirements are fulfilled.
Extracurricular Activities
Cultural celebrations, community visits, work experience placements
Winchelsea School is a special educational needs school operating across 7 sites that has been rated as meeting strong standards across most areas. The school provides highly tailored support for pupils with varied needs and demonstrates exceptional inclusive practice.
At a Glance
38.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Winchelsea School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Winchelsea School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Winchelsea 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
90%
Near capacity
248 pupils
277 places
29 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(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
248
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Winchelsea School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
248
Total Pupils
171
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
43
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,693
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.6%
Overall absence
27.4%
Persistent absence
215
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Winchelsea School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Winchelsea School
What are GCSE results like at Winchelsea School?
In the 2025 results, pupils at Winchelsea School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Winchelsea School's Ofsted rating?
Winchelsea School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Winchelsea School?
No fixed boundary. When Winchelsea 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 Winchelsea School?
Winchelsea School has around 248 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Winchelsea School have specialist SEN provision?
Winchelsea School has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 250 places, 250 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Winchelsea School?
9.6% of sessions were missed at Winchelsea School in 2024/25. 27.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Winchelsea School?
Apply through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's coordinated admissions process, naming Winchelsea 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 Winchelsea School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 17 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Winchelsea School?
Winchelsea School is at Guernsey Road, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4LL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)