Best Schools in Shaftesbury

These schools serve pupils with particular needs, so they aren't ranked against mainstream schools on exam results. Places are usually arranged through the council, often via an Education, Health and Care plan.

Coombe House SchoolAges 5-19 · Good

Questions parents ask about schools in Shaftesbury

How many schools are there in Shaftesbury?

Shaftesbury has 9 open schools: 6 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Shaftesbury?

None of the 8 graded schools in Shaftesbury currently holds an Outstanding rating. 7 are rated Good, so 88% are 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.

Source: Ofsted

Which primary schools in Shaftesbury have the best SATs results?

Of the 5 primary schools in Shaftesbury with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury (90% in reading, 86% in maths); Motcombe CofE Primary School (86% in reading, 75% in maths); and Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (73% in reading, 82% 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.

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury Motcombe CofE Primary School Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Shaftesbury?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Shaftesbury have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Shaftesbury have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Shaftesbury?

Apply to your council - Dorset or Wiltshire, 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.