Ferndown Upper School is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Ferndown, Dorset, for children and young people aged 13 to 19. Its specialist base has 10 places for speech, language and communication.
- Ages 13–19
- 1,134 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2026)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 13 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 10 places, 10 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,134
- Headteacher
- Mr Philip Jones (Headteacher)
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 113854
Needs its base supports
1 need: speech and language
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Dorset (10)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Dorset council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, March 2026: Strong standard in 5 of 7 areas
Inspected in March 2026 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementStrong standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
- Post-16Expected standard
- Leadership and governanceStrong standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, December 2021).
Contact and getting there
Cherry Grove, Ferndown, BH22 9EY
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Parley First School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–9 · Ofsted: Good 1.0 mile
- West Moors Middle School Mainstream + base · Ages 9–13 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.6 miles
- Portfield School Special school · Ages 4–19 · Ofsted: Good 2.4 miles
By need in Dorset: Autism (13) · Speech and language (11) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Severe learning (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Ferndown Upper School
How do I get a place in Ferndown Upper School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Ferndown Upper School support?
Speech, language and communication. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Ferndown Upper School take?
Aged 13 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Ferndown Upper School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2026 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Ferndown Upper School?
Cherry Grove, Ferndown, BH22 9EY, in Dorset.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.