Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd, Dorchester
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Dorchester. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd in detail
Who goes there
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Moreton (Dorset) Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd
Free school transport
Check free transport to Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Dorchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dorchester
Across Dorset council
Places available
2,797
Applications
2,105
Got 1st preference
97.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All secondary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Further education and skills inspection
Special educational needs provision
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd
What is Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd's Ofsted rating?
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd?
No fixed boundary. When Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd have specialist SEN provision?
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd?
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd is at The Walled Garden, Moreton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)