Best Schools in Dorset

How many schools are there in Dorset?

Dorset has 289 open schools: 185 state primary, 52 state secondary or all-through, 20 independent, 24 special and 8 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dorset are rated Outstanding?

21 schools in Dorset were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Katharine's Church of England Primary School, Bournemouth School for Girls, Avonwood Primary School, Bournemouth School, Canford Heath Infant School and 16 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 230 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.

St Katharine's Church of England Primary SchoolBournemouth School for GirlsAvonwood Primary SchoolBournemouth SchoolCanford Heath Infant School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dorset get the best GCSE results?

Of the 42 schools in Dorset with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bournemouth School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 72 and 95% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Bournemouth School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 71.2 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Poole Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 70.2 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bournemouth School for GirlsBournemouth SchoolPoole Grammar School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dorset have the best SATs results?

Of the 131 primary schools in Dorset with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Durweston Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Trent Young's CofE Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); and St. Walburga's Catholic Primary School (98% in reading, 98% 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.

Durweston Church of England Primary SchoolTrent Young's CofE Primary SchoolSt. Walburga's Catholic Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dorset?

Yes. Bournemouth School, Bournemouth School for Girls, Parkstone Grammar School and Poole Grammar School are state grammar schools in Dorset. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Bournemouth SchoolBournemouth School for GirlsParkstone Grammar SchoolPoole Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Dorset?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Avonbourne Girls Academy, 3.652 miles for 2026 entry; The Bourne Academy, 1.003 miles for 2026 entry; Avonwood Primary School, 0.755 miles for 2024 entry; Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School, 2.001 miles for 2024 entry; Bearwood Primary and Nursery School, 1.097 miles for 2024 entry. We hold figures for 21 schools in Dorset; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Avonbourne Girls AcademyThe Bourne AcademyAvonwood Primary SchoolBaden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior SchoolBearwood Primary and Nursery School

Source: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Dorset?

Apply to your council - Dorset; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; or Hampshire, depending on your address - 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.