Best Schools in Dorchester

How many schools are there in Dorchester?

Dorchester has 24 open schools: 16 state primary, 5 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 1 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dorchester are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Dorchester was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Thomas Hardye School. Counting Good as well, 86% of the 21 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Thomas Hardye School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dorchester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Dorchester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Thomas Hardye School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.8 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Dorset Studio School, with an Attainment 8 score of 32 and 13% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Thomas Hardye SchoolDorset Studio School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dorchester have the best SATs results?

Of the 4 primary schools in Dorchester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School (88% in reading, 100% in maths); Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney (87% in reading, 87% in maths); and Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (84% in reading, 63% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Buckland Newton Church of England Primary SchoolThorner's Church of England School, Litton CheneySticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dorchester?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Dorchester selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Dorchester have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Dorchester have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Dorchester?

Apply to Dorset through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.