St Aldhelm’s Academy Review 2026, Poole secondary with a broad curriculum and strong community identity

A school that talks openly about inclusion and community, and has the day to day structures to back that up. St Aldhelm’s Academy serves Branksome and the wider Poole area as an 11 to 16 state secondary, with places allocated through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council. It is part of the Authentic Education group, having joined in June 2015, which provides a wider trust framework around curriculum, governance, and improvement planning.

Leadership is clearly signposted on the academy’s own pages, with Nadine Lapskas listed as Executive Principal and John Twigg as Head of School.

For families weighing up fit, the key question is not whether the school offers opportunities, it does, but whether your child will respond well to a setting that is rebuilding consistency after a period of staffing change and post pandemic disruption, while still keeping a broad offer that includes academic and vocational pathways.

The academy’s public messaging is strongly values led, with an explicit emphasis on character alongside academic outcomes. The stated intent is for students to leave as confident, respectful and kind members of society, which signals a school that is trying to build social norms deliberately, not leave them to chance.

External evidence supports the idea of a strong community ethos and generally positive relationships between staff and pupils, with most pupils described as attentive and taking pride in their work. That matters because, for many families, the daily feel of a school comes down to whether routines are calm enough for learning to happen without constant friction. At the same time, the same evidence highlights an important tension, expectations are not always applied consistently, which can allow some low level disruption to persist in certain lessons.

Leadership structure is also worth understanding. The academy differentiates between Executive Principal and Head of School, which often means strategic oversight at executive level and operational leadership at site level. Nadine Lapskas is named as Executive Principal on the academy website and is also listed as headteacher or principal on the Government’s Get Information About Schools service.

This is a secondary school with published GCSE performance indicators in the FindMySchool dataset, and they indicate that outcomes sit below England average overall. Ranked 3,556th in England and 7th in Poole for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results place the school below the England average overall.

Two additional data points help interpret what that means in practice. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 35.1, and the Progress 8 score is -0.58. A negative Progress 8 figure indicates that, on average, students make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. This is not destiny for an individual child, but it is a useful signal for parents who want a clear picture of academic traction.

The most constructive way to use this information is to ask targeted questions during your research. For example, which subjects have improved most recently, how is the academy standardising behaviour and routines so that learning time is protected, and what support is in place for students who arrive in Year 7 below age related expectations in literacy.

Curriculum breadth looks like a genuine priority rather than a slogan. External evidence describes a broad, well sequenced curriculum, with English Baccalaureate subjects positioned as a core part of the offer, and vocational routes also available so that students can choose pathways that fit their strengths and goals.

A helpful detail for parents is that the strongest curriculum implementation is reported in English, mathematics, science, and humanities, with some subjects identified as less secure at the time, including languages and personal, social and health education. The implication is straightforward, if your child is particularly languages focused, you should ask what has changed since the 2021 inspection, including staffing stability, curriculum resources, and how the academy checks consistency across classrooms.

Reading strategy is also described as mixed, effective for students at earlier stages of reading, but less consistently stretching confident readers or building a sustained reading culture. For families, this is another prompt for a practical conversation, what does reading intervention look like, how are high prior attainers extended, and how does reading connect to learning across subjects.

Where Students Go Next

As an 11 to 16 school, the key transition is post 16. The academy’s published materials emphasise careers guidance and the Gatsby Benchmarks, which signals a structured approach to careers education and exposure to pathways beyond GCSEs.

Without sixth form destination statistics published for this school, it is best to think in terms of pathways rather than percentages. Students typically progress to a mix of school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, and further education providers across Bournemouth and Poole, as well as apprenticeships for those seeking employment linked training routes. The most useful parent action is to ask how the academy supports subject choice at Key Stage 4 and how it prepares students for applications at 16, including interviews, taster days, and guidance for apprenticeship options.

Year 7 admissions follow the local authority coordinated process, which means you apply through the council rather than directly to the academy for the normal September intake. The academy’s own admissions page directs families to the BCP Council admissions route for applications and enquiries, and it publishes an admissions policy for 2026 to 2027.

For September 2026 entry, BCP Council states that applications submitted on time are those made before 31 October 2025, with outcomes issued on 2 March 2026 for on time applications. Late applications are treated on a later timetable, with outcomes stated as 25 March 2026 for those applying between 1 November 2025 and 23 January 2026.

Open events are offered in a pattern that is useful for planning ahead. The academy indicates that formal open events are typically held in June or July and again in September or October, alongside private school day appointments at other points in the year.

Because the dataset does not include Year 7 demand figures for this school, you should treat competitiveness as variable year to year and confirm current pressure points via the local authority and the academy’s published admissions arrangements.

A practical tool tip for families comparing options across Poole is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison view for GCSE outcomes and context, then shortlist based on a combination of travel time, curriculum match, and pastoral fit rather than a single metric.

There is strong evidence that the academy prioritises inclusion and that many students experience it as a place where different backgrounds and abilities are valued. Most students report feeling safe, and bullying concerns are often resolved, though the same evidence recognises that behaviour and bullying systems have not always been applied consistently.

Safeguarding is a critical baseline for any parent decision. The 2021 inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, and it describes strong systems for recording concerns and staff training to recognise risk.

For families, the practical implication is to look for consistency in routines and communication. Ask how behaviour expectations are reinforced across subjects, how parents are informed about incidents, and what support is offered to students who struggle with regulation or attendance.

Extracurricular provision is one of the clearer strengths in the academy’s published content because it offers concrete examples rather than generic claims. The enrichment information lists a mix of sport, creative activities, and interest based clubs, including Ju Jitsu, badminton, choir, science club, and Dungeons and Dragons, alongside football. That combination can be valuable for students who do not define themselves by a single identity. It gives sporty students outlets, but it also legitimises quieter interests that often help students build belonging in Year 7 and Year 8.

Facilities also appear to support a broad physical education offer. The academy describes access to a dance studio, trampoline centre, swimming pool, fitness suite, sports halls, outdoor hard courts, a field area, and a 3G all weather football pitch. The implication is that sport and physical activity can be delivered with variety rather than repeating the same narrow set of options, which can be particularly helpful for students who engage best when given different ways to participate.

The academy’s internal structure includes named houses, with staff roles referencing Paley, Pickford, Scott, and Manley houses. For some students, a house system provides a smaller community within a larger school, which can support identity and positive peer relationships when it is used well through competitions, mentoring, and recognition.

The academy day is clearly published. Students are expected on site by 08:30, the day starts at 08:35, and it finishes at 15:00, with a compulsory week of 32.5 hours.

Term dates are also published on the academy website, which is useful for coordinating childcare, travel, and routine across siblings in different settings.

As with most secondary schools serving local communities, families typically combine walking, cycling, and public transport depending on where they live. The practical step is to test the journey at the times your child would travel, because peak time reliability matters more than distance on a map.

• Academic outcomes are below England average. The FindMySchool ranking places the school below England average overall for GCSE outcomes, and Progress 8 is negative. Families should ask what improvement work is showing the strongest early impact, and in which subjects.

• Consistency of behaviour systems has been a known issue. Evidence points to generally positive relationships but uneven application of the behaviour policy in some areas. This matters most for students who need predictable routines to learn well.

• Language and reading strategy were identified as areas to strengthen. If your child has strong language aptitude or you are prioritising a reading rich culture, ask what has changed since 2021, including staffing stability and curriculum support.

• Admissions require close attention to the local authority timetable. For September 2026 entry, the on time deadline is 31 October 2025, and missing it changes your outcome timeline.

St Aldhelm’s Academy is a community focused 11 to 16 school with a broad curriculum, a visible enrichment offer, and facilities that support varied sport and activity. It is best suited to families seeking a state secondary in the Branksome and wider Poole area who value inclusion and extracurricular breadth, and who will engage actively with the school on routines, learning habits, and progress. The main decision point is academic trajectory, outcomes are currently below England average overall, so parents should look for clear evidence of improving consistency and subject level impact when shortlisting.