Merley First School

Academy converter·First school Wimborne, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole·BH21 1SD

School type

First school

Ages 5–9

Key Stage 2 performance

Merley First School is a first school for pupils aged 5–9. Pupils move on to a separate junior or middle school before Year 6, so the school does not enter pupils for the Key Stage 2 SATs and has no KS2 results to publish.

This applies to every first school in England — it does not mean data is missing. Ofsted judgements and school information are shown below.

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first

84%

68 first choices, 60 places

First choices per place

1.13

more first choices than places

Applications naming the school

118

any preference, for 60 places

Last place offered lived

2.04 mi

straight line, 2026 intake · 3288 m

Applications from another council area

First preferences per place, last five years▼ 0.16

00.511.5

1 per place

0.9520220.8920230.9620241.2920251.132026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

The cut-off distance is how far the last child offered a place lived, not a catchment boundary: it moves every year with the number of applicants. Published by the council in its 2026 allocation figures, and checked against that document before we show it.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

Ofsted judgements

Legacy framework · Read full report ↗

Overall effectiveness

Good

Quality of education

Good

Behaviour and attitudes

Good

Personal development

Outstanding

Leadership and management

Good

Safeguarding effective?

Yes

Early years provision

Outstanding

School profile

Age range: 5–9
Pupils on roll: 287
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: None

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6

10.1%

Typical primary: 21.5%

% EAL

1.7%

Typical primary: 9.6%

Special educational needs

% SEN support

11.5%

Typical primary: 14.3%

% with an EHC plan

0.7%

Typical primary: 3.0%

Attendance

Overall absence

3.9%

Typical primary: 5.3%

Persistently absent

5.5%

Typical primary: 13.3%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher

20.2

Typical primary: 20.7

Spend per pupil

£4,993

Typical primary: £6,960

“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means

Nearby primary schools

Broadstone Middle School Broadstone · 1.6 mi 40.4 Bearwood Primary and Nursery School Bournemouth · 1.9 mi 34.6 Hillbourne Primary School Poole · 2.7 mi 49.0 Haymoor Junior School Poole · 2.7 mi 55.6 Christ The King Catholic Primary School Bournemouth · 3.0 mi 9.8 Elm Academy Bournemouth · 3.0 mi 67.6 Heathlands Primary Academy Bournemouth · 3.2 mi 24.7 Canford Heath Junior School Poole · 3.2 mi 57.8

Location

Official sources

Latest Ofsted report reports.ofsted.gov.uk DfE Compare School Performance compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk GIAS school details get-information-schools.service.gov.uk

About Merley First School

Merley First School is a primary school in Wimborne, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. Around 287 pupils aged 5 to 9 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted.

Competition for places is real here - 84% of first-choice applicants were offered a Reception place for September 2026 (68 first choices for 60 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 2.04 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 3.9%. There are about 20.2 pupils per teacher. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 10% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.