Upton Junior School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 7 to 11
Ofsted: Good

St Martin's Road, Upton, Poole, BH16 5NQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Upton Junior School is a primary school in Poole for ages 7 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 16th of 18 primary schools in Poole. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 22 February 2023, report published 26 April 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 February 2023

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming school. They benefit from the strong pastoral support system. The school values of 'aspiration, resilience and curiosity' help pupils to be supportive and caring of each other. Most parents support this view. One parent commented, 'the school is friendly, welcoming and approachable, with pupils' well-being at the forefront'. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They have designed a curriculum that engages and interests pupils. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They talk enthusiastically about the range of subjects available to them. Pupils understand that it is alright to make mistakes and take risks with their learning. Pupils are polite and confident. They behave well in lessons and around the school site. Low-level disruption is rare. When it does happen, staff act quickly so learning is not interrupted. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say it can happen, but adults deal with it when it does. Leaders give careful consideration to supporting pupils' wider development. They treat pupils as individuals. Staff provide pupils with opportunities to develop their understanding of different cultures and religions. Pupils enjoy the range of enrichment activities they can take part in, including sports clubs and learning to play a musical instrument.

What the school should improve

  • In mathematics, pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to problem solve and reason. As a result, not all pupils are deepening their knowledge and understanding of important mathematical concepts. Leaders need to ensure that the mathematics curriculum provides frequent opportunities for all pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge.
  • In some subjects in the wider curriculum, the specific knowledge that teachers want pupils to know is not precise enough. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their subject-specific knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that the important content pupils need to learn is explicitly identified and sequenced so that all pupils build their knowledge well.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

95 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths47%

47%, 15 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths2%

2%, 6 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score105

105, 1 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score102

102, 3 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

351 pupils on roll, with places for 384

Eligible for free school meals27.1%

27.1%, 0.6 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language4%

4%, 17.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support16%

16%, 1.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.6%

4.6%, 1.4 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Upton Junior School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Upton Infant School0.1 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Yarrells Preparatory School0.3 milesNo Ofsted inspectionNot published
Bayside Academy0.9 milesReport card: Needs attention to expected standard60% met the expected standard
Twin Sails Infant and Nursery School2 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Springdale First School2 milesOfsted judgements: OutstandingNot published

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
HAMWIC EDUCATION TRUST
Age range
7 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Duncan Churchill
Address
St Martin's Road, Upton, Poole, BH16 5NQ
Local authority
Dorset
URN
146490

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.