Ferndown First School
Mountbatten Drive, Ferndown, BH22 9FBOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Ferndown First School is a primary school in Ferndown for ages 4 to 9. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2010.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 14 September 2010, report published 4 February 2011
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 9 November 2023
Children learn the routines and the high expectations of the school right from the start, in Reception. They gain confidence year on year and become great ambassadors for the school. For example, pupils undertake their leadership roles with integrity. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to shine personally because staff treat them as individuals and celebrate their achievements. Pupils enjoy school. Being kind and courteous is becoming central to the 'Ferndown way' of doing things. Pupils and staff build great relationships as a result. Pupils like that there is plenty of space to play at lunchtimes. Everyone looks after each other. Staff are always on hand to provide caring support. Pupils follow a broad curriculum. Learning about equality and diversity is threaded through the curriculum. This means that pupils gain an understanding of why being inclusive is important. Visits and visitors are well thought out, including the tractor visit in Reception and outdoor adventurous activities to build pupils' resilience in Year 4. However, there are occasions when sequences of work do not enable pupils to flourish in their work. This means that some pupils do not excel academically when they are ready. Typically, parents report that communication from the school is a strength. Almost every parent would recommend the school to another parent.
What the school should improve
- There is not sufficient oversight of the impact of the curriculum. When pupils get stuck, a minority of pupils do not get the immediate support they need to secure new learning. Some pupils do not learn the most challenging subject content they need to excel academically when they are ready. The trust must ensure that the implementation of the curriculum is consistently strong and that it enables all pupils, including those with SEND, to progress through the curriculum in every subject sufficiently well.
- While most pupils attend well, the systems to analyse persistent absence are not as robust as they could be. This makes it difficult for the school standards board (SSB) to hold the school to account. The trust must monitor persistent absence stringently to ensure and assure themselves that everything is being done to increase pupils' attendance and therefore maximise pupils' learning time at school.
Pupil numbers and mix
348 pupils on roll, with places for 342
Schools near Ferndown First School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferndown Middle School | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | 45% met the expected standard |
| Parley First School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Outstanding | Not published |
| West Moors Middle School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 49% met the expected standard |
| Oakhurst Community First School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- SOUTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Sean Watts
- Phone
- 01202873747
- Address
- Mountbatten Drive, Ferndown, BH22 9FB
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 148161
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.