Other independent school · independent

Canford School

Mixed · ages 13–18 · with sixth form · selective (grammar) · Anglican/Church of EnglandBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, South West · Wimborne BH21 3ADSchool website
Pupils on roll
650of 680 places
Free school meals
Year 11 cohort 2025
126
Ofsted
Not covered by Ofsted school inspections
What the data says

The Department for Education has not published where Canford School’s Year 11 leavers went next (destination measures are not published for independent schools), so this page relies on the school’s results and subjects.

Biology is unusually popular at GCSE: 90% of the year group took it, against 23% of pupils across England.

A level grades average A-, well above the England average of B-; 43% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%). The largest A level subjects are Mathematics, Economics and Chemistry.

Nearly everyone studies a modern language to GCSE (French, Spanish entries add up to 87% of the cohort), which is rare outside selective and independent schools.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and England.

The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

GCSE results 2025

MeasureCanford SchoolBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)26.850.546.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%57%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%75%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%44%41%
EBacc average point score0.944.544.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort21%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils36.234.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils54.350.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language16%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Biology11390%23%65%45%99%
Business Studies7459%18%62%20%99%
French6451%18%63%29%95%
Spanish4637%19%43%27%96%
Physical Education3528%11%54%24%100%
Design and Technology2822%11%68%23%100%
Religious Studies2419%31%88%32%100%
Art and Design2117%7%43%24%100%
Computer Science1512%13%60%30%100%
Drama1512%7%60%27%100%
Music1411%5%64%33%100%
Latin119%1%73%74%100%
Classical Civilisation86%1%13%40%88%
Chinese43%1%75%
Russian32%0%87%
Turkish11%0%71%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Music performance: Group54%
Music performance: Group11%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureCanford SchoolBournemouth, Christchurch and PooleEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study281
— of whom A level students1311,548261,341
Average A level gradeA-B-B-
Average points per A level entry45.7735.5235.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsA-B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects43%18%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics6348%31%
Economics3325%13%
Chemistry3224%17%
Biology3023%20%
English Literature2721%11%
Physics2318%12%
Business Studies1814%13%
History1814%13%
Religious Studies1612%4%
Politics1411%6%
Physical Education1310%3%
French129%1%
Spanish108%2%
Further Mathematics86%5%
Drama75%2%
Classical Civilisation65%1%
Computer Science5%
Product Design2%
German0%
Latin0%
Music0%
Portuguese0%
Art and Design1%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1713%
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (All)

Other secondary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Bournemouth School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,320 pupils

98% stayed in education · Attainment 8 74.2

Corfe Hills School

Academy converter · sixth form · 943 pupils

92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.7

Glenmoor Academy

Academy sponsor led · 902 pupils

88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 60.7

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.