School profile

Parley First School

Primary · Academy converter · Ferndown, BH22 8QE

Good

Map showing Parley First School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

Parley First School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Jul 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages4 to 9
Pupils313
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr J Bagwell
TrustSOUTHERN EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityDorset
Opened01 Jan 2021
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 148162.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils313
Girls152
Boys161
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.11.5%
First language not English1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.300
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.48
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.18
Average class size27.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
92.3%
Other mixed
2.6%
Other White
1.3%
White and Asian
1.3%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
White and Black African
0.6%
Other Asian
0.6%
Gypsy/Roma
0.3%
Chinese
0.3%
Irish
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher19.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10
Teachers (FTE)15.9
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.29
Support staff (FTE)21.88
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2517.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2515.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.58
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.135
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.66
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.56
Applications from another local authority (Reception)8

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolDorsetEngland
Overall absence4.3%, better than England-5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.7.1%, better than England-13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England-1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Parley First School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.7 miPrimaryFerndown First SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miMiddle deemed secondaryFerndown Middle SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miSecondaryFerndown Upper SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryHampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.8 miPrimaryKinson AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Parley First School

What is Parley First School's Ofsted rating?

Parley First School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 3 Jul 2023.

How hard is it to get into Parley First School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Parley First School made 58 offers from 135 applications (2.3 per offer), and 56 of 66 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Parley First School?

Parley First School has 313 pupils aged 4 to 9.

What is the capacity of Parley First School?

Parley First School had 300 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Parley First School?

At Parley First School, the average class had 27.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Parley First School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Parley First School missed 4.3% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 7.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.