Schools with autism provision in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Autism units and resourced provisions give autistic pupils a base with specialist staff while they join mainstream classes for as much as suits them. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has 6 mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision for autism and 6 special schools that cater for it.
Mainstream schools with a unit or resourced provision (6)
Pupils have a specialist base and staff inside an ordinary school. Places are separate from the school's main admissions and normally need an EHC plan.
| School | Provision | Ages | Town | Places | Ofsted | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadstone Middle SchoolMiddle school · also social, emotional and mental health | SEN unit and resourced provision | 9-13 | Broadstone | 20 | Good 2019 | 23 |
| Broadstone First SchoolPrimary school | Resourced provision | 4-9 | Broadstone | 10 | Good 2023 | 20 |
| Malmesbury Park Primary SchoolPrimary school | SEN unit | 3-11 | Bournemouth | 12 | Good 2022 | 26 |
| Manorside AcademyPrimary school · also social, emotional and mental health | SEN unit and resourced provision | 3-11 | Poole | 20 | No overall grade 2025 | 41 |
| Old Town Infant School and NurseryPrimary school · also speech, language and communication | Resourced provision | 3-7 | Poole | 10 | Not inspected | – |
| The Bishop of Winchester AcademySecondary school | SEN unit | 11-18 | Bournemouth | 16 | Good 2023 | 61 |
Special schools (6)
Special schools take pupils with an education, health and care plan; the council names the school in the plan. Many cater for several needs.
| School | Provision | Ages | Town | Places | Ofsted | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linwood SchoolSpecial school · also moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication and more | Special school | 2-19 | Bournemouth | 437 pupils | No overall grade 2025 | – |
| Longspee AcademySpecial school · also social, emotional and mental health | Special school | 5-16 | Poole | 106 pupils | Good 2024 | – |
| Montacute SchoolSpecial school · also severe learning difficulties | Special school | 2-18 | Poole | 97 pupils | Good 2023 | – |
| Portfield SchoolSpecial school · also severe learning difficulties | Special school | 4-19 | Christchurch | 144 pupils | Not inspected | – |
| Tregonwell AcademySpecial school · also social, emotional and mental health | Special school | 5-16 | Bournemouth | 136 pupils | Outstanding 2023 | – |
| Winchelsea SchoolSpecial school · also hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, other needs and more | Special school | 4-19 | Poole | 248 pupils | Report card 2026 | – |
Other needs
How to read this
The list comes from the Department for Education's register of schools (Get Information about Schools), which records the type of SEN provision each school has and how many pupils are in a resourced provision or SEN unit. Resourced provision means extra staff and funding for a group of pupils who spend most of their time in ordinary classes. A SEN unit is a separate class within the school. Both need a place agreed by the council through an education, health and care plan; ask the council's SEND team, not the school's admissions office. The register is only as good as what schools report, so check with the school before relying on it.