About Our Independent Guide
Welcome to our independent educational resource. This website was created to provide parents, guardians, and the local community with a clear, objective, and data-driven overview of The Cornerstone Academy in Poole.
Choosing a secondary school is a complex decision often clouded by marketing materials, local rumors, and complex statistics. Our editorial mission is to cut through the noise. We believe that parents deserve access to plain-English explanations of how schools are performing, how they are funded, and how the admissions process works.
Editorial Independence
This website is completely independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by The Cornerstone Academy, the UNITED LEARNING TRUST, or the local authority.
We do not accept payment to alter statistics, remove negative Ofsted remarks, or artificially inflate rankings. Every metric presented on this site is drawn directly from official government databases, ensuring a high standard of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
If you require specific, day-to-day administrative information—such as uniform lists, term dates, or direct contact details—please visit the school's official website at http://www.carter.poole.sch.uk/.
Our Data Sources
To maintain absolute transparency, we publish the exact sources of the information used to build this profile. We do not invent, estimate, or misleadingly round any figures. If a data point is missing from the official record (such as the Progress 8 score for the 2024-25 cohort due to cancelled KS2 SATs), we state that it is "Not published" rather than fabricating a substitute.
The data presented across this site was programmatically retrieved and accurately transcribed from the following official UK Government sources:
- Establishment Details (URN, Capacity, Address, Trust): DfE Get Information About Schools (GIAS) bulk establishment extract
- Academic Performance (GCSEs, Attainment 8, Progress 8): DfE Compare School & College Performance — KS4 2024-2025 (Attainment 8) & 2023-2024 (Progress 8)
- Ofsted Ratings and Inspection History: Ofsted 'Management information — state-funded schools — latest inspections' (Nov 2025)
- Financial Benchmarking (Per-Pupil Expenditure): DfE Schools Financial Benchmarking / Explore Education Statistics
Data Snapshot Date
The public data files used to generate these pages were captured and frozen on 2026-07-24. While we strive for accuracy, school circumstances (such as mid-year Ofsted inspections or shifts in academy trust governance) can change rapidly. Always verify critical decisions against the official school or local authority channels.