A town in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Merley at a glance
How Merley's schools compare with England, area by area.
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
1 in Merley. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Wimborne, BH21 1SD · Academy · Primary · Ages 5 to 9
No published results yet.
68 first choices, 60 offers made
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Poole, BH21 3AP · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 14
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
0 in Merley. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Poole, BH21 3AP · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 14
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Wimborne, BH21 3AD · Independent · Secondary · Ages 13 to 18
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
2 in Merley, highest Ofsted grade first
Wimborne, BH21 1ST · Nursery
Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.
Wimborne, BH21 3AF · Nursery
Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.
1 in Merley, by the school's Eduscope score
Wimborne, BH21 3AD · Independent · Secondary · Ages 13 to 18
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
1 in Merley. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Poole, BH21 3AP · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 14
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
2 in Merley. Eduscope doesn't rank these.
Poole, BH21 3AP · Independent · All-through · Ages 6 to 14
Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Wimborne, BH21 3AD · Independent · Secondary · Ages 13 to 18
Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.
Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.
Pick a stage to see every Merley school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.
Ages 0 to 4
All 2 inspected are Good or better.
2nurseries
Ages 4 to 11
100% Good or better.
2schools
Ages 11 to 16
2schools
The one inspected is Good or better.
1school
Here's how Merley's schools break down by type, faith and more.
Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
MerleyEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 1 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
3%
England 18%
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
10%
Latest graded inspection for the 2 schools that have one.
100%
Good or Outstanding
Merley in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Merley has 5 schools and nurseries.
There are 4% fewer pupils than in 2018, though numbers have risen since 2025.
10% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupils in Merley's state schools each January.
Down 4% since 2018.
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Merley10%
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Merley has 5 schools, including 2 primary schools, 2 secondary schools, 2 nurseries, 2 independent schools, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
100% of inspected schools in Merley hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 2 rated Good.
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Merley is 22.5:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
The persistent absence rate across schools in Merley is 2.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
There are 292 pupils enrolled across schools in Merley, with 292 in primary. 9.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
There are 2 independent schools in Merley. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Merley on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 5 schools in Merley by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
