West Moors Middle School
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West Moors Middle School is a council school in Ferndown for boys and girls aged 9 to 13. It has 240 pupils and room for 256. About 37 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 49 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Heathfield Way, West Moors, Ferndown, BH22 0DA01202 872474westmoorsmid.dorset.sch.ukDr Deborah Craddock headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 9 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2022 | S5 Inspection | Good |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
57 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 57 | 63 | 62 | 54 | 51 | 50 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 49% | 54% | 53% | 57% | 49% | 64% | 57% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 16% | 13% | 15% | 17% | 0% | 10% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 105.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 | 105.0 | 104.8 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 102.0 | 102.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 100.0 | 103.0 | 103.3 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 106.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 60% | 78% | 66% | 63% | 69% | 78% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 54% | 54% | 63% | 76% | 61% | 76% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 61% | 71% | 66% | 70% | 71% | 76% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.2 | -2.2 | -2.3 | -1.3 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.4 | -0.7 | -3.9 | -2.9 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 24% | 36% | 24% | 42% | 40% | 56% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 69% | 69% | 64% | 66% | 55% | 74% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
155 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 6% since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 5.2 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 5.2 miles from the school, under the sibling rule. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 64 | 76 | 132 | 64 | 5.2 miles (sibling) | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 10 pupils, for autism, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, 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 Dorset with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (22), language and communications needs (17), Specific learning difficulty (16), Other difficulty or disability (9), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 240 | 236 | 247 | 241 | 215 | 198 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 37% | 36% | 40% | 38% | 41% | 41% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 7% | 9% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 21% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 18% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 10% | 7% | 10% | 14% | 12% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 10.3% | 10.9% | 9.1% | 11.9% | 9.5% | 6.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.0% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 7.1% | 5.4% | 4.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.4% | 5.3% | 3.0% | 4.7% | 4.1% | 1.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 27.8% | 35.5% | 29.9% | 37.9% | 29.4% | 18.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 11.0 | 17.8 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 5.6 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakhurst Community First School | Academy | 380 m | 173 | Report card 2026 | 26 | Compare |
| St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery | Academy | 0.9 miles | 148 | No overall grade 2025 | 54 | Compare |
| Ferndown Upper School | Council | 1.5 miles | 1,134 | Report card 2026 | 68 | Compare |
| Ferndown Middle School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 600 | Good 2023 | 56 | Compare |
| Ferndown First School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 348 | Good 2023 | 26 | Compare |
| Parley First School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 313 | Good 2023 | 39 | Compare |
| Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School | Academy | 2.4 miles | 84 | Good 2023 | 21 | Compare |
| St Ives Primary & Nursery School | Academy | 2.6 miles | 245 | Outstanding 2023 | 99 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares West Moors Middle School with the 41 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 41 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 49 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 49% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 28 to 69. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | -0.02 | Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.06 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.08 | 2024/25; 241 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is West Moors Middle School a good school?
It is about average. West Moors Middle School scores 49 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 28 to 69, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is West Moors Middle School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 9 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.
How good are West Moors Middle School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 49% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 16% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does West Moors Middle School have?
240 pupils aged 9 to 13 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 256 places, so it is 94% full.
Is West Moors Middle School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 5.2 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at West Moors Middle School?
Pupils were in school 89.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 28% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at West Moors Middle School?
The average class had 23.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does West Moors Middle School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, specific learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does West Moors Middle School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
Does West Moors Middle School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Heathfield Way, West Moors, Ferndown, BH22 0DA
- Telephone
- 01202 872474
- Website
- www.westmoorsmid.dorset.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Dr Deborah Craddock
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Middle school, ages 9-13
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Ward
- West Moors & Three Legged Cross
- Constituency
- Christchurch
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 113861 · LAESTAB 8384033 · UKPRN 10018642
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Dorset council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.