Discover DT2Dorset
Map of schools in Dorset
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Schools are coloured by their last Ofsted grade, or by results compared with England schools of the same type in the same year: reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school, and Attainment 8 at GCSE. Special, alternative provision, independent, nursery, 16 to 19 and all-through schools are not compared. Behind them, neighbourhoods are coloured by the education, skills and training measure of the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (England only). Sources: Department for Education, Ofsted, MHCLG. Open Government Licence v3.0. This map outlines Dorset and its wards. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Schools and results
How schools here are spread and how pupils are doing. There are no league tables on this page.
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools in the area Open schools (excluding children's centres) with a postcode in the area. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| Pupils on roll Pupils on roll at schools in the area (January 2026 census where reported). Pupils may live elsewhere. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| Graded schools rated Good or Outstanding Share of schools with a 1-4 Ofsted grade that are Outstanding or Good. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | as at 31 Aug 2026 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| KS2 reading, writing and maths at expected standard Pupil-weighted share of year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths (2024/25). | Department for Education (compare school performance) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2024/25 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school percentages (eligible pupils). From 94 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| KS4 Attainment 8 score Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores (2024/25). | Department for Education (compare school performance) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2024/25 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores. From 28 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Schools opened in the last two years New schools (not academy conversions, relaunches or mergers) with an opening date Oct 2024 - Sep 2026. | Department for Education (GIAS) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | Oct 2024 to Sep 2026 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, medium quality |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Method: Change events
Events are dated records from public registers: company insolvency notices in The Gazette (loaded from July 2025, so the window is under 24 months), charity registrations and removals (Charity Commission register events), and school opening and closing dates (GIAS), where academy conversions, relaunches and mergers are labelled separately from genuine new schools and closures. They are located at the registered office, registered address or school premises, which is not necessarily where an organisation operates or where affected people live. Each council shows only its most recent events per type (cap per type); wards show all loaded events. The Gazette feed carries insolvency notices only, not planning, licensing or other notices. A notice is an event on the register, not a judgement about the organisation. No individuals' names are stored.
Latest Ofsted judgements
This place England
Share of schools by latest overall judgement. Inspection frameworks have changed over time, so older and newer judgements are not like for like. as at 31 Aug 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted grades of schools Latest overall Ofsted grade of schools in the area as at 31 Aug 2026 (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | as at 31 Aug 2026 | Dorset (Council area) |
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Schools by phase
This place England
Share of schools. Oct 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools by phase Open schools by phase of education (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Dorset (Council area) |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Schools by type
This place England
Share of schools. Oct 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools by type Open schools by establishment type group (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Dorset (Council area) |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Pupils and attendance
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils eligible for free school meals Pupil-weighted share of pupils eligible for free school meals (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 179 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Pupils on SEN support Pupil-weighted share of pupils receiving SEN support (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 179 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Pupils with an EHC plan Pupil-weighted share of pupils with an education, health and care plan (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 179 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Overall absence rate Pupil-weighted share of sessions missed for any reason (2024/25). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2024/25 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 153 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Persistent absence Pupil-weighted share of pupils missing 10% or more of sessions (2024/25). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2024/25 | Dorset (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 133 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Pupil characteristics describe who attends local schools, not how good the schools are. Absence and special educational needs rates differ for many reasons beyond the school.
Adult qualifications
What residents have studied, from the census.
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with no qualifications Share of usual residents aged 16 and over with no qualifications (Census 2021). | Office for National Statistics Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2021 | Dorset (Council area) | direct, high quality |
| Adults with a degree-level qualification or above Share of usual residents aged 16 and over whose highest qualification is Level 4 (degree level) or above (Census 2021). | Office for National Statistics Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2021 | Dorset (Council area) | direct, high quality |
Method: Census 2021 housing, health and qualifications for Wales
Wales held its census on the same day as England (21 March 2021) with the same questions, so the figures are directly comparable. For Wales we use the published local authority tables. Tenure counts shared ownership with owners; "private rented" includes people who live rent free, as in the England figures. Overcrowding is an occupancy rating of -1 or less for bedrooms. Qualifications are for people aged 16 and over; "no qualifications" and "Level 4 or above" (degree level and above) are shares of all those people. Counts are rounded by random adjustment, so tiny differences from other tables are expected. Wales households per local authority are not split to small areas here.
Highest qualification of people aged 16 and over, Census 2021 (21 March 2021). Level 4 is degree level and above. Older adults are less likely to hold formal qualifications, so areas with more older residents show higher shares with none.
Local schools (184)
Listed alphabetically. Each links to its own page, with its Ofsted record, results and governors.
| School | Phase | Type | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 130 |
| All Saints' Church of England Academy | Secondary | Academy sponsor led | 598 |
| Allenbourn Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Academy converter | 499 |
| Arbour House School | Not applicable | Other independent special school | 39 |
| Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 411 |
| Atlantic Academy Portland | All-through | Academy sponsor led | 769 |
| Aurora Beeches School | Not applicable | Other independent special school | 48 |
| Aurora Boveridge College | Not applicable | Special post 16 institution | |
| Beaminster School | Secondary | Voluntary controlled school | 673 |
| Beaminster St Mary's Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 140 |
| Beaucroft Foundation School | Not applicable | Foundation special school | 241 |
| Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 189 |
| Bere Regis Primary and Preschool | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 119 |
| Bincombe Valley Primary School | Primary | Community school | 291 |
| Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 208 |
| Bovington Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 180 |
| Bridport Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 267 |
| Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 194 |
| Broadmayne First School and Nursery | Primary | Community school | 139 |
| Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 93 |
| Bryanston School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 776 |
| Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 110 |
| Budmouth Academy Weymouth | Secondary | Academy sponsor led | 1,466 |
| Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School | Primary | Academy converter | 99 |
| Castle Court School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 227 |
| Cerne Abbas CofE Vc First School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 77 |
| Charmouth Primary School | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 71 |
| Cheselbourne Village School | Primary | Community school | 49 |
| Chickerell Primary Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 420 |
| Clayesmore School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 414 |
| Colehill First School | Primary | Academy converter | 148 |
| Conifers Primary School | Primary | Community school | 324 |
| Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 87 |
| Cranborne Church of England First School | Primary | Academy converter | 73 |
| Cranborne Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Community school | 265 |
| Damers First School | Primary | Academy converter | 475 |
| Dorchester Learning Centre | Not applicable | Pupil referral unit | 54 |
| Dorchester Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Academy converter | 527 |
| Dorset Studio School | Secondary | Studio schools | 332 |
| Downlands Community School | Primary | Community school | 201 |
| Dumpton School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 338 |
| Dunbury Church of England Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 131 |
| Durweston Church of England Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 144 |
| Emmanuel Church of England Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Academy sponsor led | 434 |
| Employ My Ability (Ema) Ltd | Not applicable | Special post 16 institution | |
| Ferndown First School | Primary | Academy converter | 348 |
| Ferndown Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Academy converter | 600 |
| Ferndown Upper School | Secondary | Community school | 1,134 |
| Frome Valley CofE First School | Primary | Academy converter | 141 |
| Gillingham Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 233 |
| Gillingham School | Secondary | Academy converter | |
| Graduately Developing Futures | Not applicable | Other independent special school | 23 |
| Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School | Primary | Academy converter | 134 |
| Hanford School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 69 |
| Harbour School Dorset | Not applicable | Free schools special | 145 |
| Harbour Vale School | Not applicable | Academy alternative provision sponsor led | 23 |
| Hayeswood First School | Primary | Academy converter | 148 |
| Hazelbury Bryan Primary School | Primary | Community school | 114 |
| Henbury View First School | Primary | Academy converter | 148 |
| Hillside Community First School | Primary | Academy converter | 221 |
Showing the first 60 of 184. Near Me lists schools by distance.
Sources used on this page
4- Department for Education (compare school performance): Key stage 2 and key stage 4 school-level performance tables extractPeriod: 2024/25 (revised; year inferred from the extract) · Published: Mar 2026 (fetched) · Coverage: England state-funded schools with published results · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data: Establishment records, pupil numbers, FSM, SEN, absence; Ofsted outcomesPeriod: GIAS 7 Oct 2026; pupils January 2026 census; FSM/SEN 2025/26; absence 2024/25; Ofsted as at 31 Aug 2026 · Published: Oct 2026 · Coverage: England (GIAS); Wales has establishment records without results · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
- Department for Education (GIAS): Establishment open and close datesPeriod: file of 7 Oct 2026 · Published: 7 Oct 2026 · Coverage: England · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- Office for National Statistics: Census 2021 bulk tables via Nomis: TS054 tenure, TS045 cars, TS044 accommodation type, TS017 household size, TS052 occupancy rating (bedrooms), TS037 general health, TS067 highest qualificationPeriod: 21 March 2021 · Published: 2023 · Coverage: Local authorities of Wales (22) and Wales; qualifications also for England and its local authorities · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
Registered offices are not operating locations. Ranks and deciles are never averaged. Census 2021 figures are labelled 2021.