Livingstone Academy Bournemouth

About Livingstone Academy Bournemouth

Livingstone Academy Bournemouth is a mixed all-through state school in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority, serving pupils from age 4 right through to 19. It sits within a competitive secondary landscape where the top-performing peers by ranking score are Glenmoor Academy, The Bournemouth and Poole College, and Poole Grammar School. The school is currently rated Good by Ofsted following its most recent graded inspection in April 2024, and it is one of 25 same-type schools in the LA, seven of which hold an Outstanding rating. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Bournemouth School, about 2.9 km away. Livingstone Academy is significantly undersubscribed relative to its capacity — it has 809 pupils against a capacity of 1,510 — yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 secondary entry, with 481 applications for 141 places and 127 offers made to first-preference families. The oversubscription ratio of 3.41 suggests strong local demand, particularly given 213 first-preference applications were received.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted report awarded top marks across several key areas. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all judged Outstanding, while the quality of education was rated Good. The early years provision, relevant for the youngest pupils, was also rated Outstanding. The sixth form provision was not separately graded in this inspection. The school’s Progress 8 score is not provided in the data, but the LA average Progress 8 for secondary schools is 0.17, which is above the national average of zero. Livingstone Academy’s own performance on this measure would need to be checked against that benchmark. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 23.6%, which is well above the national average and suggests it serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. The Ofsted report highlights strong personal development and behaviour, which may reflect the school’s focus on character and wellbeing alongside academic progress.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, music rooms, ICT suite, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include dance, gymnastics, swimming, netball, cricket, hockey, and cross country, while clubs range from drama and choir to coding, Model UN, and Young Enterprise. The school has a comprehensive SEND provision, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a potentially strong fit for families whose children require additional support within a mainstream setting. With its all-through age range and oversubscribed admissions, Livingstone Academy suits local families who value a school with strong pastoral ratings and a wide extracurricular offer, particularly those looking for a single school from primary through to sixth form.

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