Schools in Sturminster Newton
Dorset · 6 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 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 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Schools in Sturminster Newton (6)
- Hazelbury Bryan Primary School
Primary · Ages 2-11 · DT10 2ED
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 75% expected (2025)94% of first choices got in - St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull
Primary · Ages 2-11 · DT10 1JX
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 80% expected (2025) - William Barnes Primary School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · DT10 1BZ
Ofsted: Good (2013)KS2: 70% expected (2025) - St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull
Primary · Ages 4-11 · DT10 1PZ
KS2: 67% expected (2025) - Sturminster Newton High School
Secondary · Ages 11-18 · DT10 1DT
Ofsted report cardAttainment 8: 41.4 (2026)
By type:Primary schools in Sturminster Newton (4)Special schools in Sturminster Newton (1)Secondary schools in Sturminster Newton (1)
6
4 primary · 1 secondary
1,181
69% capacity used
2
0 outstanding · 2 good
1,721
540 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Sturminster Newton
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
41.4
GCSE Eng+Maths
36.0%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
260 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +65 primary and +47 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
61% occupied · 263 spare places
Secondary Schools
67% occupied · 295 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Sturminster Newton
How many schools are there in Sturminster Newton?
Sturminster Newton has 6 open schools: 4 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Which schools in Sturminster Newton are rated Outstanding?
1 school in Sturminster Newton was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Yewstock School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 4 graded schools here are rated 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 Sturminster Newton have the best SATs results?
Of the 4 primary schools in Sturminster Newton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull (80% in reading, 80% in maths); Hazelbury Bryan Primary School (72% in reading, 78% in maths); and William Barnes Primary School (71% in reading, 68% 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.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, MarnhullHazelbury Bryan Primary SchoolWilliam Barnes Primary School
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Sturminster Newton?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Sturminster Newton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Sturminster Newton have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Sturminster Newton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Dorset 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 Sturminster Newton?
Apply to Dorset 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.