Shaftesbury School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 95 families put Shaftesbury School as their first choice and 167 named it as one of their preferences, for 108 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 119 in 2021 to 95 in 2026, while places went from 123 to 108.
25% of applications came from families living in another council area.
Across Dorset, 98% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Dorset lodged 143 appeals against secondary school offers; 105 reached a hearing and 34 succeeded (32.4% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 108 | 95 | 167 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 122 | 120 | 199 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 158 | 153 | 259 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 121 | 121 | 226 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 123 | 114 | 202 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2021 | 123 | 119 | 223 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 134 | 132 | 234 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 144 | 121 | 205 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2018 | 159 | 155 | 246 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 139 | 134 | 209 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 149 | 140 | 253 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2015 | 145 | 141 | 215 | 1.0 | 2 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.