St Aldhelm's Academy
Herbert Avenue, Poole, BH12 4HS
808 pupils · 90% of 900 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- AUTHENTIC EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED
- Local authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Free school meals
- 45.4%
Ofsted
Needs attention (2026) — Report card — the most common grade across the inspected areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Urgent improvement |
| Attendance and behaviour | Needs attention |
| Personal development and wellbeing | Needs attention |
| Leadership and governance | Needs attention |
| Safeguarding | Met |
Inspected 10 March 2026, published 9 June 2026. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 33.6 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 22.4% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 44.9% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 13.5% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.46 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 152 | 70 | 183 | 100 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 177 | 120 | 248 | 151 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 173 | 121 | 266 | 152 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 175 | 123 | 244 | 175 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 175 | 100 | 223 | 139 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 178 | 85 | 173 | 112 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 172 | 102 | 184 | 129 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 181 | 86 | 138 | 108 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole 1.9 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Oak Academy 2.4 km · No overall grade (2024)
- Magna Academy 2.4 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- LeAF Studio 2.7 km · No overall grade (2024)
- The Bourne Academy 2.8 km · Good (2019) · previous system
- Winton Academy 3 km · Outstanding — confirmed 2024 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.