Schools in Christchurch
Christchurch is a historic town at the confluence of the Rivers Avon and Stour, forming part of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) unitary authority with 20 state schools - 12 primary and 3 secondary. BCP Council coordinates school admissions, applying a distance-based tiebreaker for oversubscribed schools after priority categories such as looked-after children and siblings. The area borders Dorset and Hampshire, and families living near the county boundaries should check which authority coordinates their nearest schools.
Secondary admissions in Christchurch are competitive: the town's schools draw applications from across the BCP area, and oversubscription is common at popular schools. Families should be aware that the BCP unitary authority covers Bournemouth and Poole alongside Christchurch, meaning the co-ordinated admissions round encompasses a large geographic area. BCP publishes catchment boundary maps and the latest last-distance-offered figures each autumn.
School demand in Christchurch
Across the 18 schools in Christchurch with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 89%. 5 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.
6 schools in Christchurch have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.
6 of the schools in Christchurch are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.
8 of the schools in Christchurch have a current Ofsted rating, of which 6 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.
Primary schools in Christchurch: 3 oversubscribed (12)
Somerford Primary School
Primary · Community school
Christchurch · BH23 3AS
Mudeford Community Infants' School
Primary · Community school
Christchurch · BH23 3HH
Mudeford Junior School
Primary · Community school
Christchurch · BH23 3HP
Burton Church of England Primary School
Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Christchurch · BH23 7JY
The Priory Church of England Primary School
Primary · Voluntary aided school
Christchurch · BH23 1HX
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch
Primary · Voluntary aided school
Christchurch · BH23 3DA
Sopley Primary School
Primary · Community school
Christchurch · BH23 8ET
Highcliffe St Mark Primary School
Primary · Foundation school
Christchurch · BH23 5AZ
Bransgore Church of England Primary School
Primary · Academy converter
Christchurch · BH23 8JH
Twynham Primary School
Primary · Free schools
Christchurch · BH23 2NH
Christchurch Junior School
Primary · Academy converter
Christchurch · BH23 2AA
Christchurch Infant School
Primary · Academy converter
Christchurch · BH23 2AE
Secondary Schools in Christchurch (3)
Twynham School
Secondary · Academy converter
Christchurch · BH23 1JF
Highcliffe School
Secondary · Academy converter
Christchurch · BH23 4QD
The Grange School
Secondary · Academy sponsor led
Christchurch · BH23 3AU
Other Schools in Christchurch (5)
Portfield School
Not applicable · Non-maintained special school
Christchurch · BH23 6BP
The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy
Not applicable · Special post 16 institution
Christchurch · BH23 8EE
Christchurch Learning Centre
Not applicable · Pupil referral unit
Christchurch · BH23 1PJ
Connie Rothman School
Not applicable · Other independent special school
Christchurch · BH23 1DN
Futures Autism Unlimited
Not applicable · Special post 16 institution
Christchurch · BH23 1PH
Catchment area boundaries for schools in Christchurch are set by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and updated each year. The "last distance offered", how far the furthest successful applicant lived, changes annually based on the number of applications received.