The Forum Centre
The Forum Centre, Park Road, Blandford Forum, DT11 7BX
- Phase
- Local authority maintained schools
- School type
- Pupil referral unit
- Ages
- 5 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kim Rickford
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 57
- Pupils on roll
- 19
- URN
- 131827
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01258455202
About this school
The Forum Centre is a special school in Blandford Forum. It teaches children aged 5 to 16 and has 19 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Forum Centre, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 22 January 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Trends over time
How The Forum Centre has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 35 |
| 2023/24 | 28 |
| 2024/25 | 18 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 72.22%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Bryanston School1.0 miles
Independent schools · Blandford Forum
-
Hanford School3.7 miles
Independent schools · Blandford Forum
-
The Forum School4.9 miles
Special schools · Blandford Forum
-
Clayesmore School5.1 miles
Independent schools · Blandford Forum
-
The Luccombe Hub5.5 miles
Special schools · Blandford Forum
Other schools in Blandford Forum
- The Forum School Special schools
- The Luccombe Hub Special schools
- Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School Primary
- Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School Primary
- Downlands Community School Primary
- Durweston Church of England Primary School Primary
- Milborne St Andrew First School Primary
- Milldown CofE Academy Primary
- Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Primary
- Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Primary
- Spetisbury CofE Primary School Primary
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Forum Centre teach?
- The Forum Centre teaches children aged 5 to 16. It is a special school in Blandford Forum.
- Who is the headteacher of The Forum Centre?
- The headteacher of The Forum Centre is Mrs Kim Rickford, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Forum Centre been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Forum Centre, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Forum Centre?
- The Forum Centre has 19 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 16.
- Is The Forum Centre full?
- The Forum Centre has capacity for 57 pupils and 19 on roll (33%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Forum Centre a faith school?
- No. The Forum Centre has no designated religious character.
- Does The Forum Centre publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Forum Centre. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.