Sturminster Newton High School, Sturminster Newton

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Sturminster Newton High School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Generally, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Although pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not attend as regularly as others nationally, leaders are taking effective action."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is broad and ambitious."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear commitment for all pupils to feel part of the Sturminster Newton High School community."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "In the last 2 years, the leadership of the school has stabilised."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The conduct of pupils reflects the school's values of respect, responsibility and resilience."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students follow a well-designed study programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently identifies and removes barriers to learning for all pupils, so they know more and remember more over time"; "Leaders should ensure highly effective teaching is consistently embedded across all subjects, including post-16, so that all pupils achieve very well"; "Leaders should continue to foster a sense of belonging for pupils and remove barriers so that all pupils attend well".

In 2026, pupils at Sturminster Newton High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Dorset and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Dorset and 47% in England.

That is down from 46.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.39: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.5, against 43.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.

For September 2026 entry, 89 families put Sturminster Newton High School as their first choice and 157 named it as one of their preferences, for 93 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Sturminster Newton High School is one of 18 schools run by Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 107 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 24% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 44 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 34% into work. 11% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Sturminster Newton High School.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sturminster High School (s-bound), 30 metres away.

In 2024/25, Sturminster Newton High School issued 44 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.