Merley First School is a primary school in Wimborne, serving pupils aged 5 to 9. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Merley First School currently has around 287 pupils on roll, which is about 96% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 53.3% boys and 46.7% girls. Around 10.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 3.9%. Persistent absence is recorded at 5.5%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (90.9%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Oakley Straight, Wimborne, BH21 1SD |
| Website: | www.merleyfirstschool.com/ |
| Telephone: | 01202888455 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Rebecca Baldwin |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 141794 |
Ofsted inspection date: 29/11/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 5 - 9 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 300 |
| Number of Pupils: | 287 |
| Number of Boys: | 153 |
| Number of Girls: | 134 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 3.9% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 5.5% | 8.2% |
| White British | 90.90% | 261 |
| Other White | 2.10% | 6 |
| White and Black African | 1.70% | 5 |
| Other Mixed | 1.40% | 4 |
| Unclassified | 1.00% | 3 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.00% | 3 |
| White and Asian | 0.70% | 2 |
| Other Asian | 0.30% | 1 |
| African | 0.30% | 1 |
| Indian | 0.30% | 1 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merley First School Oakley Straight , Merley BH21 1SD | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Merley First School Oakley Straight , Merley BH21 1SD | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne St John's Hill , BH21 1BX | 3out of 4 | 1,779 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled First School, Wimborne St John's Hill , BH21 1BX | - not rated | 1,779 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Wimborne First School and Nursery Campanula Way , BH21 4FW | 3out of 4 | 2,451 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corfe Hills School Higher Blandford Road , BH18 9BG | - not rated | 3,209 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Corfe Hills School Higher Blandford Road , BH18 9BG | 3out of 4 | 3,209 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allenbourn Middle School East Borough , BH21 1PL | - not rated | 2,303 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Allenbourn Middle School East Borough , BH21 1PL | - not rated | 2,303 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Broadstone Middle School Dunyeats Road , BH18 8AE | - not rated | 2,797 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Broadstone Middle School Dunyeats Road , BH18 8AE | 3out of 4 | 2,797 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Middle School, Colehill Colehill Lane , Colehill BH21 7AB | - not rated | 2,905 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Regional Assessment Centre Merley House , Merley House Lane BH21 3AA | - not rated | 1,255 yd | Special post 16 institution | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Canford School Canford Magna , BH21 3AD | - not rated | 1,544 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Grangewood Hall School 24 St John's Hill , BH21 1BZ | - not rated | 1,898 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Beaucroft Foundation School Wimborne Road , Colehill BH21 2SS | 3out of 4 | 2,625 yd | Foundation special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The White House School 170 Magna Road , BH21 3AP | - not rated | 2,780 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.