Primary schools4 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Ian Greig · CC BY-SA 2.0CSchool Grade
Schools in Dorchester · DfE, Ofsted
secondary results put Dorchester’s state schools ahead of 67% of towns in England; primary results, of 6%
Reading, writing and maths at the expected standard: 49% of primary pupils in Dorchester, below both Dorset’s towns (58%) and towns in England (62%). 7 state-funded schools are located in Dorchester’s built-up area. Dorchester grades C for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #18 of 30 in Dorset. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
7
4 primary, 3 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
49%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
47.8
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
51%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Dorchester’s schools
One trust runs much of it
6 of Dorchester’s 7 state schools belong to 2 academy trusts. Wessex Multi Academy Trust runs 5 of them, including Dorchester Middle, St Osmund's and The Thomas Hardye: 3,255 of the 3,255 secondary pupils. Who runs them ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Dorchester grades C for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (49% meet the standard)Better than 6% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (47.8 and 51%)Better than 67% of towns in England
The secondary figure lifts Dorchester; the primary figure holds it back.
The primary figure: 2 primaries in the town, 949 pupils in results over three years. Dorchester has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (435 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Dorchester’s 7 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Dorchester’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 3 secondaries are named.
Getting a place
How school places work in Dorchester
Dorset Council handles applications for every state school in Dorchester, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 3 of Dorchester’s 7 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
The Prince of Wales incl. nursery104%
St Osmund's99%
St Mary's incl. nursery97%
The Thomas Hardye94%
Manor Park incl. nursery88%
Dorchester Middle88%
Damers First79%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
7 state schools in Dorchester
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Dorchester’s schoolsA 0B 1C 1D 14 without a letter
Secondary schools3 · best GCSE results first
Village schools near Dorchester1 · outside any built-up area; Dorchester is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Good 1Report card 2Ungraded inspection only 4
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 2 of Dorchester’s 7 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Early years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Middle SchoolJune 2026 | Met | Needs attention | Expected standard | Expected standard | Strong standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | — |
| Manor Park Church of England First SchoolJanuary 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
Who runs them
2 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wessex Multi Academy TrustThe Thomas Hardye, St Osmund's, Dorchester Middle, Damers First, Manor Park | 5 | 4,126 | BC−D |
| Plymouth CASTSt Mary's | 1 | 177 | — |
| Dorset CouncilThe Prince of Wales | 1 | 156 | — |
After 16
Where Dorchester’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
1 of Dorchester’s 3 state secondaries has a sixth form: The Thomas Hardye. The nearest college is Weymouth and Kingston Maurward College, a further-education college 6 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
1 of 3
state schools in Dorchester
Colleges within 12 miles
1
nearest: Weymouth and Kingston Maurward College
Grammar schools in Dorset
0
no selective state secondaries
Towns its size
184th of 277 English towns of 15,000 to 29,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Dorchester, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | A+ | 79% | 64.3 | 83% |
| … | |||||
| 180 | Whitehaven Cumbria | C | 60% | 43.5 | 39% |
| 181 | Stourport-on-Severn Worcestershire | C | 63% | 40.6 | 34% |
| 182 | Brackley Northamptonshire | C | 59% | 44.2 | 41% |
| 183 | Royton Greater Manchester | C | 61% | 42.5 | 39% |
| 184 | Dorchester Dorset | C | 49% | 47.8 | 51% |
| 185 | Newton Aycliffe County Durham | C | 58% | 46.1 | 40% |
| 186 | Newport Pagnell Buckinghamshire | C | 59% | 42.7 | 42% |
| 187 | Selby North Yorkshire | C | 58% | 44.3 | 43% |
| 188 | Stratton St Margaret Wiltshire | C | 56% | 45.1 | 44% |
| … | |||||
| 277 | March Cambridgeshire | D− | 45% | 36.7 | 30% |
Neighbours
Dorchester and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
CharminsterCharlton DownPuddletownCrosswaysWeymouthChickerellMaiden NewtonDorchester
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester 7 schools | C | 49% | 47.8 |
| Charminster 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 1.8 mi | C | 44% | 47.8 |
| Charlton Down 0 schools · 3 mi | — | — | — |
| Puddletown 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 5.1 mi | D | 51% | — |
| Crossways 1 school · 5.1 mi | — | — | — |
| Weymouth 17 schools · 6.4 mi | D | 55% | 39.1 |
| Chickerell 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6.6 mi | D | 56% | 39.1 |
| Maiden Newton 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 7.3 mi | C | 59% | — |
Maiden Newton has the best-graded schools nearby (C). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three.
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Dorchester
Are schools in Dorchester good?
Dorchester’s state schools earn a C against schools across England: primary results beat 6% of towns in England; secondary results beat 67% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Dorset council.
Do Dorchester secondary schools have sixth forms?
1 of 3 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Dorchester?
Through Dorset Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Dorchester are full?
1 of 7 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Dorchester?
7 open state-funded schools are located in Dorchester’s built-up area: 4 primary, 3 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.