Schools in Shaftesbury
Dorset · 9 schools
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.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Schools in Shaftesbury (9)
- Coombe House School
Special · Ages 5-19 · Independent · SP7 9LP
Ofsted: Good (2025)Attainment 8: 3.7 (2026) - Ludwell Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 9ND
Ofsted: Good (2024)KS2: 53% expected (2025)88% of first choices got in - Motcombe CofE Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 9NT
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 81% expected (2025) - Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 9AU
Ofsted: Good (2014)KS2: 78% expected (2025)79% of first choices got in - Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 8PZ
Ofsted: Good (2022)New report cardKS2: 53% expected (2025) - The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 8HQ
Ofsted: Good (2012)KS2: 88% expected (2025) - St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · SP7 0PF
Ofsted: Requires Improvement (2022)KS2: 90% expected (2024) - Port Regis Preparatory School
Independent · Ages 2-13 · Independent · SP7 9QA
By type:Primary schools in Shaftesbury (6)Special schools in Shaftesbury (1)Secondary schools in Shaftesbury (1)Independent schools in Shaftesbury (1)
9
6 primary · 1 secondary
2,228
70% capacity used
4
0 outstanding · 4 good
3,197
969 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Shaftesbury
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Dorset
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
21.9
GCSE Eng+Maths
12.6%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
390 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +98 primary and +70 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
79% occupied · 272 spare places
Secondary Schools
61% occupied · 501 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Shaftesbury
How many schools are there in Shaftesbury?
Shaftesbury has 9 open schools: 6 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 1 special.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Are there any Outstanding schools in Shaftesbury?
None of the 8 graded schools in Shaftesbury currently holds an Outstanding rating. 7 are rated Good, so 88% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.
Source: Ofsted
Which primary schools in Shaftesbury have the best SATs results?
Of the 5 primary schools in Shaftesbury with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury (90% in reading, 86% in maths); Motcombe CofE Primary School (86% in reading, 75% in maths); and Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (73% in reading, 82% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.
The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, ShaftesburyMotcombe CofE Primary SchoolSemley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Shaftesbury?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Shaftesbury selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Shaftesbury have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Shaftesbury have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.
How do I apply for a school place in Shaftesbury?
Apply to your council - Dorset or Wiltshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.