Schools in Ferndown
Ferndown in East Dorset operates within a three-tier school system, meaning pupils progress through First schools (ages 4–9), Middle schools (9–13), and Upper schools (13–18). The town has 7 schools in the catchment.school database including Ferndown Upper School (1,146 places, 1,169 pupils – slightly oversubscribed), West Moors Middle School (Ofsted Good), and Ferndown Middle School. Parents of children in the Ferndown area must plan transitions at both age 9 and age 13 rather than the more common two-tier model.
Primary-level (First school) provision includes Ferndown First School (342 places, 360 pupils – oversubscribed), Parley First School (Ofsted Good, 315 places), and Oakhurst Community First School (Ofsted Good, 209 places). St Mary's CofE First School is the area's faith option (184 places). Dorset Council coordinates all admissions including the three-tier transitions; families moving into Ferndown should familiarise themselves with the council's transfer arrangements, which differ from the standard national two-tier timeline.
Primary schools in Ferndown: 1 oversubscribed (4)
Oakhurst Community First School
Primary · Academy converter
Ferndown · BH22 0DY
St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery
Primary · Academy converter
Ferndown · BH22 0JF
Ferndown First School
Primary · Academy converter
Ferndown · BH22 9FB
Parley First School
Primary · Academy converter
Ferndown · BH22 8QE
Secondary Schools in Ferndown (1)
Other Schools in Ferndown (2)
Catchment area boundaries for schools in Ferndown are set by Dorset and updated each year. The "last distance offered", how far the furthest successful applicant lived, changes annually based on the number of applications received.