Bournemouth Collegiate School
Same Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 17 August 2026
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Private schools
Canford School
Canford Magna, Wimborne, BH21 3AD
Canford School is a private secondary-stage school in Wimborne, Dorset, with a published age range of 13-18.
Private school Co-ed Ages 13-18 Sixth form Boarding school
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 13-18
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
Canford School
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 13-18
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Founded in 1923 by the Reverend Percy Warrington, Canford occupies a Dorset estate with a much older story. John O'Gaunt's is used for debating and formal dinners, while the Great Hall and Nineveh Court preserve the estate's architectural history. The history of Canford Manor is also taught in Year 9.
Canford is co-educational, day and boarding, for ages 13 to 18. Pupils take GCSEs and A levels, with an Extended Project Qualification available. Academic groups, societies and the Festival of Ideas extend work beyond examinations, alongside specialist teaching and tailored support.
Ten houses include four boys' and three girls' boarding houses. More than 65% of pupils are full boarders and more than 80% stay at weekends on average. The River Stour campus includes a boathouse, pool, climbing wall, outdoor education centre, sports pitches, tennis courts, golf course, theatre and music school.
The main entry points are Year 9 at 13+ and the Lower Sixth at 16+. Canford handles enquiries, visits, registration and applications, with separate information for assessments, scholarships, bursaries, boarding and international or military-family routes.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 26.8 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 42.5% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 26.8
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 0.94
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 13-18
- Headmaster
- Mr Christopher Wheeler
- Pupil roll
- 650 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Boarding
- Boarding school
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Canford Magna, Wimborne, Dorset
- Postcode
- BH21 3AD
School leadership
- Headmaster
- Mr Christopher Wheeler
School contact
- School phone
- 01202841254
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions email
- admissions@canford.com
- Admissions phone
- 01202841254
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 13-18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Day fees
- £14,315 per term including VAT for day pupils
- Boarding fees
- £19,073 per term including VAT for boarders
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- Each enquiry and application is considered individually; the admissions route provides an enquiry form, visits and a prospectus.
Each enquiry and application is considered individually; the admissions route provides an enquiry form, visits and a prospectus.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 26.8 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 0.94 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 42.5% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 45.77 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 11 November 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 11 November 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
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Related pages and guides
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Area and ranking pages
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Canford School handle admissions?
Canford School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Canford School?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Canford School?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Canford School?
Canford School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 11 November 2025.