School Chooser

Langside School

Special · ages 2-19MixedNon-maintained special32 pupilsSixth formNurseryPooleBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2020
Attendance77.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
Places12 spare32 pupils, 44 places
Pupils on roll32Census January 2026

Langside School is a non-maintained special school in Poole for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 32 pupils and room for 44. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Langside Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, BH12 5BN01202 518635diverseabilities.org.ukMr Jonathan Seaward principalAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 February 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 21 May 2025 said: “Standards maintained”.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
21 May 2025UngradedStandards maintained

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

2 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll32Census January 2026
Places4473% full
Pupils from low-income families6%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English9%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%32 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£2,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls20 / 12
White British pupils66%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with moderate learning difficulties provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Profound and multiple learning difficulty (31), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll323230272625
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6%6%0%4%4%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language9%9%7%7%12%12%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%100%100%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 77.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance77.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school55.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence22.2%15.5%20.9%20.4%31.2%16.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence21.9%15.4%20.9%20.4%31.2%16.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.3%0.1%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence55.6%54.6%63.6%79.0%94.7%57.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m18612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate80 per 1,000 people12% lower than the England average
Typical house price£335,000Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Nearest bus stop60 mLangside Avenue, 14 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Talbot Primary SchoolAcademy270 m547Good 202279Compare
St Mark's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy900 m418Good 202369Compare
Bishop Aldhelm's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy940 m603Report card 202663Compare
Arts University BournemouthHigher education institutions970 mNot inspectedCompare
Bournemouth UniversityHigher education institutions0.6 milesNot inspectedCompare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, PooleAcademy0.6 miles370Good 202245Compare
Manorside AcademyAcademy0.8 miles413No overall grade 202541Compare
Talbot Heath SchoolIndependent0.9 miles427Not inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Langside School a good school?

Langside School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in February 2020.

What is Langside School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Langside School good at its last full inspection on 26 February 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How many pupils does Langside School have?

32 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 44 places, so it is 73% full.

What is attendance like at Langside School?

Pupils were in school 77.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 56% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does Langside School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for moderate learning difficulties, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Does Langside School have a sixth form?

Yes.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Langside Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, BH12 5BN
Telephone
01202 518635
Website
www.diverseabilities.org.uk
Principal
Mr Jonathan Seaward
Type of school
Non-maintained special school (Non-maintained special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 2-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Ward
Alderney & Bourne Valley
Constituency
Bournemouth West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2002 (result of closure)
URN
133740 · LAESTAB 8397016 · UKPRN 10016306

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from