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Schools across Dorset

Local authority · 184 schools across 29 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Dorset →

Schools in Dorset (184)

Showing 20 of 184 schools

Total Schools

184

119 primary · 28 secondary

Total Pupils

49,648

82% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

58

3 outstanding · 55 good

Capacity

60,896

11,248 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

55
120
Outstanding: 3
Good: 55
Requires Improvement: 6
Not inspected: 120

Best Schools in Dorset

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

34.2

GCSE Eng+Maths

26.5%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

83% full
20,765 pupils25,039 capacity

4,274 spare places

Secondary Schools

81% full
22,001 pupils27,177 capacity

5,176 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.3%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.3%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

152

2024/25

Absence trend across Dorset schools

4.4%
18/19
4.3%
20/21
7.3%
21/22
6.7%
22/23
6.5%
23/24
6.3%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

78%

Plans Issued

510

Assessment Requests

1,021

Tribunal Cases

23

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

91%
2019
80%
2020
71%
2021
62%
2022
60%
2023
49%
2024
78%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

3,559 admissions

35

Lodged

(1.0%)

27

Heard

6

Successful

(22%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,103 admissions

10

Lodged

(0.3%)

7

Heard

0

Successful

(0%)

Secondary

5,467 admissions

85

Lodged

(1.6%)

58

Heard

22

Successful

(38%)

Total

9,026 admissions

120

Lodged

(1.3%)

85

Heard

28

Successful

(33%)

Total appeals lodged per year

698
2019
462
2020
263
2021
229
2022
402
2023
424
2024
361
2025
250
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Dorset

Wimborne

23 schools

Weymouth

23 schools

Dorchester

23 schools

Blandford Forum

18 schools

Sherborne

13 schools

Bridport

11 schools

Wareham

10 schools

Ferndown

7 schools

Gillingham

7 schools

Sturminster Newton

6 schools

Shaftesbury

6 schools

Poole

5 schools

Beaminster

5 schools

Swanage

5 schools

Verwood

4 schools

Ringwood

3 schools

Portland

2 schools

Lyme Regis

2 schools

Salisbury

1 schools

Thorncombe

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Dorset

How many schools are there in Dorset?

Dorset has 184 open schools: 119 state primary, 30 state secondary or all-through, 14 independent, 17 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dorset are rated Outstanding?

8 schools in Dorset were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Arbour House School, St Ives Primary & Nursery School, Rushcombe First School, The Thomas Hardye School, Thornford CofE Primary School and 3 more. Counting Good as well, 87% of the 139 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.

Arbour House SchoolSt Ives Primary & Nursery SchoolRushcombe First SchoolThe Thomas Hardye SchoolThornford CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dorset get the best GCSE results?

Of the 19 schools in Dorset with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Woodroffe School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Purbeck School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Lytchett Minster School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.9 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Woodroffe SchoolThe Purbeck SchoolLytchett Minster School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dorset have the best SATs results?

Of the 79 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 Ives Primary & Nursery School (97% in reading, 100% 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 Ives Primary & Nursery School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dorset?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Dorset have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Dorset 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 Dorset?

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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables