Hillside Community First School
Academy converter primary school in Verwood (Dorset).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
The history of education in Verwood can be traced back to the 1840's but it's not until 1967 when Verwood County Junior School opened that the school we now know as Hillside officially came into existence. Initially a primary school, before local authority reorganisation in the 1970s to the three tier system of first, middle and upper schools.
In 2017 Hillside received a new Key stage two base for children in year three and four. Hillside First School joined Initio Learning Trust in January 2019. We are a community school for children from 4-9 years of age. Children transfer at the end of year four to Emmanuel CE Middle School, also within Initio Learning Trust. Ours is a school with a very strong community spirit.
We believe in close partnership between home and school, and warmly welcome parents / carers and family members into school. Our fantastic PTA - contributes hugely to the resources and opportunities that we can offer our pupils, thanks to the commitment of parents and members of our local community.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Anti-Bullying CharterRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 146690
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2019
Governing body (4 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Jonathan Heath | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Gary Wardle | Local Governor | Parent appointed by GB/board due to no election candidates | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Jonathan Heath | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mr James McKenzie | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2029 |
| Anna Andrews Former | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Mary Grainger Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Martyn Kemp Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record