Portfield School is a non-maintained special school, run by a charity in Christchurch, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports autism and severe learning.
- Ages 4–19
- 144 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Non-maintained special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 144 (places for 150)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anna Hewitt (Head Teacher)
- Opened
- 11 May 1971
- Free school meals
- 25% of pupils eligible
- School reference (URN)
- 113942
Needs it supports
2 needs: autism, severe learning
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (4)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through 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 questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council) that this is the school you want, 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. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
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
Rated Good, May 2015; standards maintained (November 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in May 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, November 2024).
Contact and getting there
Parley Lane, Christchurch, BH23 6BP
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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 1.5 miles
- Queen's Park Infant Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 4–7 · Ofsted: Good 2.3 miles
- The Bishop of Winchester Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 2.4 miles
All SEND schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
By need in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole: Autism (13) · SEMH (7) · Speech and language (6) · Severe learning (5) · Moderate learning (3) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Portfield School
How do I get a place at Portfield School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Portfield School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Portfield School support?
Autism and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Portfield School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Portfield School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in November 2024 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 Portfield School?
Parley Lane, Christchurch, BH23 6BP, in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
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.