The Purbeck School, Wareham

From the headteacher's welcome: "The Purbeck School is a vibrant and exciting school community where everyone matters. Our approach to learning promotes and embeds our core values of kindness, aspiration and perseverance in order to develop happy, fulfilled pupils who will contribute positively to our own community and beyond."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and tennis.

In 2026, pupils at The Purbeck School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Dorset and 47 across England.

49% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Dorset and 47% in England.

That is up from 41.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.6: pupils made well above 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 42.8, against 50.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 156 families put The Purbeck School as their first choice and 241 named it as one of their preferences, for 160 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The Purbeck School is one of 12 schools run by Wessex Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

109 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Purbeck School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 88% say their child is happy there and 68% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (68%).

Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.

Of the 90 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 28% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 43% into work. 19% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Wareham Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Purbeck School Grounds (w-bound), 50 metres away.

In 2024/25, The Purbeck School issued 86 suspensions, 8.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Purbeck School are Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles) and Stoborough Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.