Schools in Ferndown
Dorset · 7 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Schools in Ferndown (7)
- Ferndown Upper School
Secondary · Ages 13-19 · BH22 9EY
Ofsted: Good (2016)New report cardAttainment 8: 45.9 (2026) - Oakhurst Community First School
Primary · Ages 5-9 · BH22 0DY
Ofsted: Good (2021)New report card87% of first choices got in - St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery
Primary · Ages 2-9 · BH22 0JF
Ofsted: Good (2011)91% of first choices got in - West Moors Middle School
Secondary · Ages 9-13 · BH22 0DA
Ofsted: Good (2022)New report cardKS2: 57% expected (2025) - Ferndown First School
Primary · Ages 4-9 · BH22 9FB
By type:Primary schools in Ferndown (4)Secondary schools in Ferndown (3)
7
4 primary · 3 secondary
2,956
97% capacity used
1
0 outstanding · 1 good
3,052
96 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Ferndown
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Dorset
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
45.9
GCSE Eng+Maths
41.7%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
303 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +76 primary and +55 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
94% occupied · 68 spare places
Secondary Schools
99% occupied · 28 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Ferndown
How many schools are there in Ferndown?
Ferndown has 7 open schools: 4 state primary and 3 state secondary or all-through.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Are there any Outstanding schools in Ferndown?
None of the 5 graded schools in Ferndown currently holds an Outstanding rating. 5 are rated Good, so 100% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.
Source: Ofsted
Are there grammar schools in Ferndown?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Ferndown selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Ferndown have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Ferndown have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.
How do I apply for a school place in Ferndown?
Apply to Dorset through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.