The Cornerstone AcademyThe Purbeck School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Cornerstone Academy and The Purbeck School are secondary schools.
The Cornerstone Academy scores 55 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Purbeck School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Purbeck School is ahead on our composite score.
The Cornerstone Academy was judged Good and The Purbeck School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.7 for The Cornerstone Academy and 49.0 for The Purbeck School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Cornerstone Academy (46.5 in 2021-22, 46.7 in 2025-26) and has risen at The Purbeck School (44.2 in 2022-23, 49.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PooleThe Cornerstone Academy | WarehamThe Purbeck School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C55/100 | C65/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 16th of 24 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 2nd of 28 in Dorset | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 645 | 1,022 | |
| Capacity | 900 | 1,180 | |
| Location | Poole, BH15 4BQ | Wareham, BH20 4PF | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.7 | 49.0 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 56.8% Stronger figure | 48.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 74.4% Stronger figure | 72.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 125 | 165 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 67 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 30.9 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 33.3 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 11.6% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 682 | 1,028 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 40.8% | 22.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 18.0% | 4.8% | |
| SEN support | 17.0% | 12.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.3% | 4.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 12.2% | 7.5% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 34.7% | 21.7% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Cornerstone Academy
The Purbeck School
Full profiles: The Cornerstone Academy · The Purbeck School