The Bourne Academy

In December 2007, Canford was approached by the DfE to consider the possibility of sponsoring an academy.  After an assessment of several different schools, it was agreed in the Autumn of 2008 that Canford would sponsor King’s High School in Hadow Road, Bournemouth.

As a sponsor, Canford would offer time, expertise and support without financial input.   Renamed The Bourne Academy, the school opened its doors to pupils in September 2010. 

A key part of the vision for the new academy was that it would be at the heart of the community of East Howe, offering local families an excellent education, new opportunities and facilities available to all.  Raising pupils’ expectations, building their self-confidence and teaching them appropriate skills that allow them to build a successful career and contribute to society were, and remain, central to The Bourne Academy’s aims.

The sponsors’ belief that good education depends crucially on the relationships between staff, pupils, parents and the other stakeholders was another core part of the vision. 

Students feel challenged to be the best they can be and they feel that staff help them be a better version of themselves ... Beyond the curriculum there is an array of opportunities that all students can access.   Ofsted, 2019

The Bourne Academy’s vision is articulated clearly through the mnemonic, ASPIRE, to develop citizens who are ambitious, self-confident, physically literate, independent learners, resilience and emotionally literate.

Exam results have improved dramatically in the years since the academy opened, with this year's A*-C rate putting it in equal first amongst non-selective Bournemouth schools.   A £10 million investment programme has included building work, completed in September 2013, for a new Maths and English block and Music and Drama studios.   This coincided with the opening of a new Sixth Form, enabling The Bourne Academy to offer a quality education for boys and girls aged 11-18 years.