The Purbeck School, Wareham
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The Purbeck School excels at putting kindness and personal care at the heart of everything it does. Pupils make exceptional progress through a well-designed curriculum, with particularly strong outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those needing extra support. The school offers an impressive range of opportunities to develop skills and explore interests, with over 70 clubs and events, plus aspirational trips and speakers that help pupils prepare confidently for their future.
Key Strengths
- Excellent curriculum design with teachers using explicit teaching methods to help pupils retain and apply knowledge
- Highly effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, tailored to individual needs
- Strong behaviour management with dramatic reduction in suspensions through revised practices
- Exceptional personal development programme that prepares pupils well for future choices and careers
- Rigorous approach to reading support that helps pupils with gaps catch up with fluency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Over 70 clubs and events, sixth-form mentoring programme, student leadership cabinet, book clubs, multi-faith conference, National Trust leadership project, additional qualifications in drama and teaching English as additional language, Gap Year club, annual residential visit to Bristol with employer experience
The Purbeck School is a secondary comprehensive school in Dorset where evidence suggests significant improvement across all areas since the previous inspection. The school creates a culture of personal care and ambition, with pupils making exceptional progress and achieving high outcomes.
At a Glance
22.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
109 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
21.4
Avg class size
46
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
1,022 pupils
1,180 capacity
158 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Wareham
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wareham
Admissions Demand - Dorset
Places available
2,822
Applications
2,234
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
Secondary admissions across Dorset (2025/26)
Inspection History
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.46866%
Overall absence
21.71946%
Persistent absence
884
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Purbeck School
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