Best schools in Dorset

[Blossombee]

Hi
We are seriously considering moving to Dorset mainly due to so many outstanding schools. I've read many forums where some recommended Wimborne Minster as the best choice. Is this still the case or ore there any other areas to consider? We are looking for somewhere semi rural/small town but close to Poole/Bournemouth and the forest. X

[salsamummy]

Parkstone grammar and Poole grammar have very good reputations.

[TableTableReview]

They're fanastic schools but selective and hard to get into.

[Elmersnewfriend]

Haha, have you read Poole Grammar's latest ofsted report? Just because the school has grammar in its name doesn't make it worth going to.

[salsamummy]

Haven't read it but keen to. :-)

[TableTableReview]

Wow how did it go from outstanding to ri in 18months?! Sounds like a change in ofsted. Is it putting people off applying though?

[awishes]

Don't believe every Ofsted report! Political agendas!
Brilliant school but it does depend on your child

[TableTableReview]

Ofsted are getting odder and odder!

[DorsetWarbler]

It wasn't much of a surprise as a friend has a son there and she has said for ages it only does well because of its cohort. Her son is doing well there but has to have a tutor for GCSE science. It was the GCSE science results that apparently triggered the last Ofsted, not a change in Ofsted.

It was only the report before last when it finally got to Outstanding having been Good for some time before that. I live in a neighbouring LEA and we've seen a big trailing off in people opting for the Grammars which is having big positives for local schools.

Other schools to look at are at Twynham (doesn't suit all), Lytchett, Ringwood and Thomas Hardye.

The jury is out with QE at the moment. It is doing well with the new Head and you should see the benefits of them not losing the most able to the Poole Grammar's in 2020 results. But it remains to be seen what happens with their new setting system where the top 26
or 27 are settled fir Maths and English then the rest are mixed sets. I don't know many of this year's Year 13 potential destinations as yet but the ones I have heard of are several for science at Exeter, a Veterinary Science offer also one for a competitive art school.

Ferndown Upper is turning around fast with the new Head and was at one point in talks with Thomas Hardye about becoming an Academy, not sure what's happening with that.

It really depends on your child, I have dine different schools for both of mine as they are very different. For 6th form some travel some distances tonBrick College and Kingston Maurwood as well as local sixth forms.

[DorsetWarbler]

I've gone on enough but should add that QE's current Year 13 lost a fair few to the Poole Grammars. At one middle school 24 out of about 150 went , I don't know about the other middle schools.

Also another thing to note about Ferndown is they have in the past lost people to both the Poole and Bournemouth Grammars. Their 2016 GCSE results were better than QE .This is partly due to the current Head being more savvy about rankings and doing things like altering the Maths board but he has injected a new enthusiasm into the school . QE wins out on the application front being oversubscribed significantly but that is due in part to the look of the school after the rebuild and some snobbery about catchment areas.

[TableTableReview]

I'm interested. My daughters are young but it's soon creeping up on us! I hope they'd get into grammar but that can't at all be relied on can it.
Lytchett you can only go to if you live in quite a tight catchment I think (we're not in it). Some do St Edwards but I don't know how that is currently or how religious it is!

Some here go to Corfe hills /qe but we're outside the pyramid so it involves an additional 2 years at a middle school/ comp first!

[salsamummy]

Poole grammar is the boys school isn't it?

[TableTableReview]

Yep. Poole grammar is the boys and Parkstone grammar the girls. Not far from each other and do do some things together.

[RachelAlexHill]

Hi all,
I'm a specialist online 11+ tutor looking to expand into the Dorset/Poole area. I have specific knowledge of the 11+ exam formats so please do contact me if I can be of assistance!