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Reviewed

Poole Grammar School

State school · Poole, BH17 9JU
  • Secondary
  • Boys
  • Ages 11-18
  • 1,222 pupils
Academically selective state school
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A well-run, purposeful grammar school with high expectations of its pupils and top-notch leadership. Bright boys get off to a winning start here.

Why read our school review?

Unlike other websites, schools can't pay to be included in The Good Schools Guide. This means our review of this school is independent, critical and fair, and written with parents' best interests at heart.

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Overview & data

Pupil numbers
1,222 ·
Sixth form numbers
326 ·
Religion
None
Local authority
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Area guides

Headteacher

Headteacher

Mrs. Katie Etheridge

Since September 2024, Mrs Katie Etheridge, who has worked at the school since 2005, starting as a geography teacher and rising to deputy head. She also qualified as a SENCo in 2018.

Entrance

In the past the entrance procedure was complex but the school website gives clear guidance on its admissions policy. ‘Admission is of approximately the top 16 per cent of the intellectual population,’ it says. School admits 180 year 7 pupils a year

Admissions policy
Academically selective state school
Open days
September and July

Entry and exit data - year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Other 16 %
Where the number of students is less than 10, we cannot say where they've come from or where they are going to due to data protection rules.
Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School 16 %
Unknown 13 %
Where the school a student attended before or after this school is not known. These might be students who have come from or going to home schooling, independent schools, moving abroad etc.
Broadstone Middle School 7 %
Lockyer's Middle School 6 %
Allenbourn Middle School 5 %
Longfleet Church of England Primary School 5 %
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole 4 %
Bishop Aldhelm's Church of England Primary School 4 %
Oakdale Junior School 4 %
Canford Heath Junior School 4 %
Haymoor Junior School 3 %
Heatherlands Primary School 3 %
Ocean Academy Poole 3 %
Hamworthy Park Junior School 2 %
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole 2 %
St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill 2 %
Upton Junior School 2 %
Data highlight

Exit

Nearly 20 per cent leave after GCSEs, often heading to co-ed colleges like Bournemouth and Poole College and Brockenhurst College, or to an apprenticeship. Around 75 per cent to higher education, half to Russell Group. Exeter, Southampton, Cardiff,

% students progressing to higher education or training (2021 leavers)

School
77%
LA avg.
65%
Eng. avg.
66%
Data highlight

What is this?

The proportion of 16-18 students that progressed to degrees, higher apprenticeships or other study at level 4 or above for at least 6 consecutive months in the 2 years after taking advanced level qualifications (level 3) at this school or college.

Latest results

In 2025, 57 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 40 per cent A*/A at A level (70 per cent A*/B)

GCSE - % of pupils achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
96.1%
LA avg.
56.6%
Eng. avg.
45.9%
Data highlight

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

A levels or equivalent - Average points score (2024)

School
39.30
LA avg.
36.30
Eng. avg.
34.45
Data highlight

What is this?

These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.

Teaching & learning

The school is a specialist maths, computing and cognition college so not surprisingly maths is far and away the most popular subject at A level, followed by physics and history.

Most year 11s take 10 GCSEs, including English, English literature,

Qualifications taken in 2024
  • A level
  • EPQ
  • GCSE
  • VRQ
68
Number of teachers
19:1
Pupil to teacher ratio

Learning support & SEN

The school prides itself on its inclusivity and support. Around 13 per cent of boys are on the SEN register (for needs such as mild dyslexia, processing issues and autism spectrum disorders). Seven-strong learning support team works with boys

0.7 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
13.1 %
Students with SEN support

Arts & extracurricular

The arts are an integral part of school life. Impressive music department, with orchestras, bands and concerts galore. Lots of drama productions, often jointly with Parkstone Grammar, including Oliver! and Les Misérables in recent years. Good take-up

Sport

This is a very sporty school, with a raft of local and national titles to its name. Loads of silverware on display in reception bears testament to this. Football is the most popular sport but rugby, cricket, athletics and swimming are very successful

Ethos & heritage

Founded as a co-ed in 1904 but the council split it into Poole Grammar (boys) and Parkstone Grammar (girls) in the late 1930s. First situated in the centre of Poole, Poole Grammar moved to its current, spacious site between Broadstone and Canford

Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline

Heads of year take responsibility for boys in each year group (boys also have a form tutor). Uniform of green blazers, white shirts, black or grey trousers (no ‘skinny’ styles) and ties for years 7 to 11 and shirts and ties for the sixth form. Boys

Mobile phone policy

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Main school students are not allowed to use their mobile phones anywhere on the school site, although exceptions will be made if there is a medical need to use their mobile phone, for example to monitor blood sugar levels. Sixth form students may use their mobile phones in lessons as a learning resource when specifically allowed to by the member of staff present. They may also use their mobile phones for educational purposes (and no other purpose) in the library and the sixth form study areas but they may not use their phones unsupervised anywhere else on site.

Updated Dec 2024

Pupils & parents

No feeder schools but many come from local primaries like Baden-Powell and St Peter’s, Oakdale, Longfleet and Broadstone Middle. A few arrive from local preps like Dumpton, Castle Court and The Yarrells. Around 2.5 per cent receive free school meals

1,222
Number of pupils

The last word

A well-run, purposeful grammar school with high expectations of its pupils and top-notch leadership. Bright boys get off to a winning start here.

Inspection reports

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Full inspection:

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Personal development Outstanding
Quality of education Good
Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding
Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good

What the school says

Poole Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school serving the Borough of Poole and its environs. It is a specialist mathematics, computing and cognition school with an international reputation for developing boys' literacy skills.

Boys take a set of entrance tests consisting of English, maths, verbal & non verbal - reasoning. There are 168 places available and the admissions policy is available on the school web site. At sixth form level 30 places are available for those from outside the school and the minimum entrance requirement is 344 points based on the candidate's best 8 GCSEs with an

Contact the school

Address

Gravel Hill
Poole
Dorset
BH17 9JU
Get directions

Telephone: 01202 692132

Email: pgsoffice@poolegrammar.com

Website: https://www.poolegrammar.com

Local authority: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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  • Secondary
  • Co-ed
  • 13-18
  • From £40,902 pa
  • 643 pupils
  • Boarding
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School data & information Poole Grammar School Gravel Hill, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9JU
1,222 Pupil numbers
326 Sixth form numbers
5.3 % % of pupils eligible for free school meals
15 % Pupils whose first language is not English
19:1 Pupil to teacher ratio
68 Number of teachers
10 Number of teaching assistants

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Main school students are not allowed to use their mobile phones anywhere on the school site, although exceptions will be made if there is a medical need to use their mobile phone, for example to monitor blood sugar levels. Sixth form students may use their mobile phones in lessons as a learning resource when specifically allowed to by the member of staff present. They may also use their mobile phones for educational purposes (and no other purpose) in the library and the sixth form study areas but they may not use their phones unsupervised anywhere else on site.

Updated Dec 2024
Our review contains additional results data reported to us by Poole Grammar School and is updated annually. See the review

% achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
96.1%
LA avg.
56.6%
Eng. avg.
45.9%

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

Average overall GCSE score (attainment 8) (2024)

School
71.30
LA avg.
50.20
Eng. avg.
45.90

What is this?

Schools get a score based on how well pupils have performed in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Improvement rates in core subjects (progress 8) (2024)

0.55 Score Well above average
≈ 16% of schools in England

What is a progress score?

This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Subjects entered at GCSE level (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Spanish GCSE (9-1) Full Course 66 6
Religious Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 179 7
Physics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 140 8
Music GCSE (9-1) Full Course 11 7
Mathematics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 180 8
History GCSE (9-1) Full Course 78 8
German GCSE (9-1) Full Course 20 5
Geography GCSE (9-1) Full Course 92 7
French GCSE (9-1) Full Course 82 6
English Literature GCSE (9-1) Full Course 180 7
English Language GCSE (9-1) Full Course 180 7
Electronics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 18 8
Drama & Theatre Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 14 6
Design & Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 31 7
D&T Food Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 32 6
Computer Studies/Computing GCSE (9-1) Full Course 56 8
Chemistry GCSE (9-1) Full Course 140 8
Biology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 140 8
Art & Design (Fine Art) GCSE (9-1) Full Course 20 7
Art & Design (3d Studies) GCSE (9-1) Full Course 42 8

% of pupils achieving AAB or higher, including at least 2 facilitating subjects (2024)

School
26.3%
LA avg.
19.9%
Eng. avg.
17.1%

What is this?

Facilitating A levels are ones that are commonly needed for entry to leading universities. They are: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, history, English literature and classical or modern languages. The % of pupils achieving AAB or higher may therefore decrease if many pupils have opted not to take two or more of the facilitating subjects mentioned.

Average points score (2024)

School
39.30
LA avg.
36.30
Eng. avg.
34.45

What is this?

These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.

Subjects entered at 16 to 18 (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Sociology GCE A level 7 C
Psychology GCE A level 32 B
Physics GCE A level 46 A
Mathematics (Further) GCE A level 17 A*
Mathematics GCE A level 88 A
Logic / Philosophy GCE A level 9 B
History GCE A level 33 A
Government and Politics GCE A level 11 A
Geography GCE A level 24 B
French GCE A level 6 B
English Literature GCE A level 6 B
English Language GCE A level 6 A
Economics GCE A level 25 A
Drama and Theatre Studies GCE A level 8 B
Computer Studies / Computing GCE A level 24 B
Chemistry GCE A level 45 B
Business Studies:Single GCE A level 21 B
Biology GCE A level 33 B
Art and Design (3d Studies) GCE A level 20 A*

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Recent feeder schools

Year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Year 12 entry (average 2020-2022)

Year 11 exit (average 2020-2022)

Year 13 exit

SEN overview

Poole Grammar School is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

The school, though a selective Grammar school, is accutely aware that many very able pupils can hide conditions such as dyslexia through strategies that as time goes on become more difficult to sustain. Hence we are looking to take a more proactive role in early screening of pupils to then give appropriate support for their learning as early as possible. Dyslexia screening now being undertaken on entry and an 'in house' literacy advisor has been appointed to focus on needs in this area. The school has adopted a second specialism in SEN (Cognition and Learning) with a focus on supporting able boys with a wide spectrum of needs.

Pupils who come to the school with a statement or who are on the feeder school special needs register are immediately put on our own register and the head of the induction year spends time with the feeder school ascertaining the needs that we will have to cater for when the pupil arrives.

We have a Learning support coordinator in place on a 0.6 teaching timetable; a specialist teacher for SEN on the staff for two days per week and 6 LSAs available for indiviudal classroom support or outreach work depending on individual cases.

09-09

0.7 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 2.7%
13.1 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 12.9%

SEN conditons supported

Schools report the conditions they might be able to support. Please note, this may not be a complete list. Find out more.

Conditions (Might cover/be referred to as) Provision
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Social skills Yes
HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty Learning needs
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Anxiety, Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Selective mutism
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty Complex needs
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Auditory processing, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting Yes
VI - Visual Impairment Special facilities for Visually Impaired

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Full inspection:

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Personal development Outstanding
Quality of education Good
Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding
Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good
Sixth form provision Good
Our data explained
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