The Compass, Weymouth
The Compass is a pru school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Weymouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Compass in detail
The Compass in its own words
In its own words: "Our Management Committee/Governing Board, working in conjunction with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, set the strategic priorities for Compass The Headteacher, working with the Leadership Team, is responsible for ensuring that the strategic priorities are achieved and the day-to-day routines and organisation of the centre."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our Pupil Premium strategy focusses on supporting disadvantaged (we'd prefer to call these pupils our under-resourced students who do make up the majority of our cohort) pupils to achieve their educational outcomes, including progress for those who can attain at the higher levels."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 17 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 41% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college and 6% into work.
Who goes there
58.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (30.4%) received SEN support and 28 (60.9%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Weymouth Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Roundham Gardens (nw-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 378 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The Compass is highly successful at gaining pupils' trust and confidence so that they re-engage with learning. Staff are unrelenting in their ambition to give pupils every chance to achieve and be positive members of their communities. This is very much the shared vision and ethos of the school. Pupils appreciate the efforts from staff to make them feel safe and valued, after previously negative experiences of education.
The school's expectations of pupils' academic and wider development are high. New pupils join the school regularly. They settle in well because of the well-embedded nurturing and respectful culture. Through their positive interactions with each other, staff inspire pupils to replicate this culture. Pupils use the support that is readily available to manage their emotions and behaviour with increasing success. The result is that pupils enjoy being in school and achieve the outcomes they need to succeed in their next stage.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's ambitious curriculum has the necessary structure and flexibility so that pupils' needs can be met successfully. Pupils are at the centre of this and their voice is regularly captured to inform the school's decision-making about the education offer. For example, the structure of and variety in enrichment on a Friday afternoon, and catering returning as a curriculum subject.
The school has prioritised reading. It has focused on increasing pupils' confidence and understanding of what they read. It does this through daily practice and regular interventions for those pupils that need additional support. However, the school has not established a clear strategy to ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise they need to build on pupils' existing reading ability. The training that has taken place to enable this is not widely embedded. Consequently, pupils do not increase their fluency and understanding of what they read as effectively as they could.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
58.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with The Compass
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Compass from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Compass 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)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
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
School Occupancy
69%
Available places
46 pupils
67 places
21 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Weymouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Weymouth
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
28
EHC Plans
91.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
46
Total Pupils
26
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
3.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,284
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Compass
What is The Compass's Ofsted rating?
The Compass's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Compass?
No fixed boundary. When The Compass is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Compass?
The Compass has around 46 pupils on roll. 59% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Compass?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming The Compass 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 The Compass?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Compass?
The Compass is at 307a Chickerell Road, Westham, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0QU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)