Dorset schools and admissions data

Dorset Council has 156 primary schools and 48 secondary schools. 11% of Dorset's schools are private schools. 36 state schools in Dorset follow the local authority's admissions criteria, while 126 set their own.

Get detailed data on schools in Dorset

Enter a postcode, street or neighbourhood to get started

Ofsted ratings
in Dorset

  1. Outstanding 23
  2. Good 98
  3. Requires Improvement 13
  4. Inadequate 10

Most popular state schools
in Dorset in 2019

  1. Primary
  2. Secondary
  1. 1

    The Prince of Wales School

    Community school • Dorchester

    Ofsted: Good

  2. 2

    Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School

    Academy converter • Bridport

    Ofsted: Good

  3. 3

    Radipole Primary School

    Community school • Weymouth

    Ofsted: Good

  4. 4

    St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester

    Academy converter • Dorchester

    Ofsted: Good

  5. 5

    Milldown CofE Academy

    Academy converter • Blandford Forum

    Ofsted: Good

  6. 6

    Witchampton Church of England First School

    Academy converter • Wimborne

    Ofsted: Outstanding

  7. 7

    St Ives Primary & Nursery School

    Academy converter • St. Ives, Ringwood

    Ofsted: Outstanding

  8. 8

    St George's Foundation Primary School

    Foundation school • Portland

    Ofsted: Good

  9. 9

    Parley First School

    Academy converter • Ferndown

    Ofsted: Good

  10. 10

    St James Church of England First School

    Academy converter • Wimborne

    Ofsted: Outstanding

  11. 11

    Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

    Voluntary aided school • Bridport

    Ofsted: Good

  12. 12

    The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury

    Voluntary aided school • Shaftesbury

    Ofsted: Good

  13. 13

    St John's Church of England Primary School

    Academy converter • Weymouth

    Ofsted: Good

  14. 14

    Lytchett Matravers Primary School

    Academy converter • Poole

    Ofsted: Good

  15. 15

    Henbury View First School

    Academy converter • Corfe Mullen, Wimborne

    Ofsted: Outstanding

  16. 16

    St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

    Academy converter • Wool, Wareham

    Ofsted: Requires Improvement

  17. 17

    Frome Valley CofE VA First School

    Academy converter • Crossways, Dorchester

    Ofsted: Good

  18. 18

    Downlands Community School

    Community school • Blandford Forum

    Ofsted: Good

  19. 19

    Broadmayne First School

    Community school • Broadmayne, Dorchester

    Ofsted: Good

  20. 20

    Cheselbourne Village School

    Community school • DORCHESTER

    Ofsted: Good

  1. 1

    The Woodroffe School

    Foundation school • Lyme Regis

    Ofsted: Outstanding

  2. 2

    The Gryphon School

    Academy converter • Sherborne

    Ofsted: Good

  3. 3

    Lytchett Minster School

    Foundation school • Purbeck, Poole

    Ofsted: Good

  4. 4

    Budmouth Academy Weymouth

    Academy sponsor led • Weymouth

    Ofsted: Inadequate

  5. 5

    The Sir John Colfox Academy

    Academy converter • Bridport

    Ofsted: Good

  6. 6

    Gillingham School

    Voluntary controlled school • Gillingham

    Ofsted: Good

  7. 7

    All Saints' Church of England Academy

    Academy sponsor led • Wyke Regis, Weymouth

    Ofsted: Inadequate

  8. 8

    Shaftesbury School

    Academy converter • Shaftesbury

    Ofsted: Good

  9. 9

    Dorset Studio School

    Studio schools • Dorchester

    Ofsted: Good

  10. 10

    Wey Valley Academy

    Academy converter • Weymouth

    Ofsted: Inadequate

Popularity is based on the number of first preference applications a school received compared to the number of places available, where we have this data. Where places available data isn't held, first preferences are compared to the number of offers made.

Visit Dorset's website to find out more.

Also see Dorset's Ofsted reports and school performance dashboard