The Gryphon School, Sherborne
The Gryphon School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Sherborne, part of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 5th-highest of the 19 schools in Dorset with published results, and 1,396th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Gryphon School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Gryphon School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Dorset and 47 across England.
45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Dorset and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 46.7.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.06: pupils made about 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 35.7, against 50.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at The Gryphon School
For September 2026 entry, 265 families put The Gryphon School as their first choice and 350 named it as one of their preferences, for 234 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 34 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
The trust
The Gryphon School is one of 18 schools run by Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 239 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Of the 160 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 47% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 24% into work. 29% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
10.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 110 pupils (7%) received SEN support and 53 (3.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
The Gryphon School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sherborne Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Gryphon School (e-bound), 30 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Gryphon School issued 63 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Gryphon School are Sherborne Primary School (0.3 miles) and Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School (1.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Sherborne Primary SchoolSherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2014 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
The Gryphon School is a Church of England secondary school with academy status for 11 to 18-year-olds in Sherborne, Dorset, England. The school has been the largest member of the Academy Trust "Sherborne Area Schools' Trust" (SAST) since June 2017.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
18.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.14 to -0.06 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 50.1 to 47.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 45% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 47.4 | 44.5% |
| Disadvantaged(45) | - | 35.7 | 22.2% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(182) | - | 50.2 | 50% |
| Boys(120) | - | 45.1 | 40.8% |
| Girls(107) | - | 49.9 | 48.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(18) | - | 60.5 | 66.7% |
| Non mobile(223) | - | 47.6 | 45.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 7 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 239 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.19%
Exclusion rate
63
Suspensions
4.05%
Suspension rate
33 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,555 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Gryphon School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Gryphon School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Gryphon School 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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
Your chances of a place at The Gryphon School
Will you get a place at The Gryphon School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Gryphon School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Gryphon School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Gryphon School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Gryphon School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dorset got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
103%
Over capacity
1,545 pupils
1,495 places
50 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sherborne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sherborne
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
110
SEN Support
53
EHC Plans
10.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Gryphon School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,569
Total Pupils
758
Boys
811
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
106
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,734
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,718
Per pupil
£8500k
Total funding
£261k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
20.4%
Persistent absence
1,215
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Gryphon School
Questions parents ask about The Gryphon School
What are GCSE results like at The Gryphon School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Gryphon School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 47.4. 45% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Gryphon School's Ofsted rating?
The Gryphon School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Gryphon School?
No fixed boundary. When The Gryphon School is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Gryphon School?
The Gryphon School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Gryphon School?
Classes at The Gryphon School average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Gryphon School?
The Gryphon School has around 1569 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Gryphon School have specialist SEN provision?
The Gryphon School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
What is attendance like at The Gryphon School?
7.9% of sessions were missed at The Gryphon School in 2024/25. 20.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Gryphon School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming The Gryphon School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Gryphon School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Gryphon School?
The Gryphon School is at Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4EQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)