The Swanage School, Swanage
The Swanage School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Swanage, part of Education Swanage Limited. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 12th-highest of the 19 schools in Dorset with published results, and 2,159th of 3,298 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below 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 Swanage School in detail
The Swanage School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Swanage School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Dorset and 47 across England.
34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Dorset and 47% in England.
That is up from 36.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.28: 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 38.7, against 45.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 19 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Multimedia and Design and Technology.
Getting a place at The Swanage School
For September 2026 entry, 61 families put The Swanage School as their first choice and 132 named it as one of their preferences, for 62 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 trust
The Swanage School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 75 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
7.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 83 pupils (23.8%) received SEN support and 29 (8.3%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
The Swanage School had 25 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Swanage (Swanage Railway), about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Swanage School (e-bound), 190 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Swanage School issued 62 suspensions, 18.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Swanage School are Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School (under 0.1 miles); St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers (0.8 miles); Swanage Primary School (1 mile); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary SchoolSt George's Church of England Primary School, Langton MatraversSwanage Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
31.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.02 to -0.28 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 45.4 to 43.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 42% to 34% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.1 | 33.9% |
| Disadvantaged(22) | - | 38.7 | 27.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(37) | - | 45.7 | 37.8% |
| Boys(27) | - | 41.7 | 37% |
| Girls(32) | - | 44.3 | 31.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(9) | - | 50.2 | 22.2% |
| Non mobile(57) | - | 43.2 | 35.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 75 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.88%
Exclusion rate
62
Suspensions
18.29%
Suspension rate
39 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 339 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with The Swanage School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Swanage School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Swanage 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Swanage School
Will you get a place at The Swanage School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Swanage School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Swanage School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Swanage 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 Swanage 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
81%
Available places
339 pupils
420 places
81 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Swanage
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Swanage
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
83
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
32.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
349
Total Pupils
167
Boys
182
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
14.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,487
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,754
Per pupil
£2824k
Total funding
£113k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.9%
Overall absence
30.3%
Persistent absence
350
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
Questions parents ask about The Swanage School
What are GCSE results like at The Swanage School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Swanage School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.1. 34% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Swanage School's Ofsted rating?
The Swanage School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for The Swanage School?
No fixed boundary. When The Swanage 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 Swanage School?
The Swanage School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at The Swanage School?
Classes at The Swanage School average 22.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Swanage School?
The Swanage School has around 349 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Swanage School?
11.9% of sessions were missed at The Swanage School in 2024/25. 30.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Swanage School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming The Swanage 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 Swanage School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Swanage School?
The Swanage School is at High Street, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2PH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)