Ferndown Upper School
About the school
Ferndown Upper School is an open secondary school in Dorset.
Latest Ofsted inspection
Published Ofsted information, current as at 31 July 2026. Inspection outcomes are not performance rankings.
- Latest inspection
- 3 March 2026
- Published
- 5 May 2026
- Inspection type
- S5 Inspection
Published inspection outcomes
Safeguarding
Met
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Post-16 provision
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Results and school context
GCSE and key stage 4
Attainment 8
- School
- 45.7
- Dorset
- 43.2
- England
- 46.1
Progress 8
The DfE has not published this measure for 2024/25.
- School
- N/A
- Dorset
- N/A
- England
- N/A
English and maths grade 5+
- School
- 45.40%
- Dorset
- 40.70%
- England
- 45.40%
English and maths grade 4+
- School
- 70.30%
- Dorset
- 62.00%
- England
- 64.80%
EBacc entry
- School
- 12.40%
- Dorset
- 38.40%
- England
- 40.50%
EBacc average point score
- School
- 3.53
- Dorset
- 3.79
- England
- 4.09
A levels and sixth form
Average A-level grade
- School
- C+
Average A-level points
- School
- 33.76
AAB or better
- School
- 10.00%
Pupil context and attendance
DfE context data for 2024/25. These characteristics provide context and are not quality ratings.
Pupils on roll
1169
Girls
50.30%
Boys
49.70%
SEN support
12.66%
Education, health and care plan
3.51%
English as an additional language
5.80%
Eligible for free school meals in the past six years
22.55%
Overall absence
8.08
Persistent absence
21.31
Pupil destinations
DfE destination measures from the 2024/25 release. These outcomes are published after a time lag.
After Key Stage 4
Cohort
225
Sustained education or employment
92%
Education
88%
Apprenticeship
1%
Employment
4%
Not sustained
6%
After 16–18 study
Cohort
119
Sustained education or employment
82%
Higher education
30%
Further education
2%
Apprenticeship
5%
Employment
36%