Ferndown Upper School Achieves the Highest Ofsted Outcomes Under the New Framework in the South West
Ferndown Upper School (FUS) is proud to announce the outcome of its recent Ofsted inspection, with the school judged to be strong in five of the seven areas – the equivalent of Outstanding under the new Ofsted framework.
This result places Ferndown Upper School among the best performing schools in the country and within the top 8% of Ofsted judgements nationally. Under the previous inspection framework, around 15% of schools were judged Outstanding. Under the current, significantly more demanding framework, only around 8% of schools nationally now receive the highest judgements of Strong or Exceptional (0.3%), highlighting the significance of this achievement.
Inspectors found that “pupils make remarkable progress from their starting points” and that “students in the sixth form achieve highly”. The quality of behaviour was also recognised as exceptional, with Ofsted stating that “pupils’ behaviour is exemplary” and that “low‑level disruption to lessons is extremely rare because pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning”.
The report emphasises the calm, purposeful learning environment across the school, noting that “lessons are purposeful and pupils are keen to do well” and that “social times are calm and orderly”. Pupils were also praised for their strong relationships, with inspectors highlighting that “pupils respect staff and have positive relationships with them” and that “bullying is very rare”.
Leadership and governance were also judged to be Strong, with inspectors commenting that “staff are happy and proud to work at the school” and that “a real sense of community and collective endeavour permeates the school, underpinned by exceptionally positive relationships between staff and pupils”.
Personal development and wellbeing were also recognised as major strengths. Ofsted noted that “pupils benefit from high quality pastoral care and a wealth of wider opportunities alongside their academic learning” and that “student leadership is a strength”.
In its summary, the report concludes that “pupils are happy and safe at Ferndown Upper School” that they “behave exceedingly well” and that “classrooms are calm and purposeful”. Inspectors also observed that “around the school, pupils are friendly and respectful” and that “students in the sixth form are excellent role models to younger pupils”.
Philip Jones, Headteacher of Ferndown Upper School, said:
“We are delighted with this report as we feel that it reflects the unique culture that we have built together as a school community. To achieve five strong judgements — the new Outstanding — and to be recognised within the top 8% of schools nationally is an enormous achievement. It is a testament to the dedication of our staff, the positive approach of our pupils, and the ongoing support from our parents and governors. A real team effort.”
Click here to download and read the full Ofsted Report: Ferndown Upper School Ofsted Report 2026