Primary schools2 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0D−School Grade
Schools in Shaftesbury · DfE, Ofsted
Shaftesbury’s state schools are in the bottom tenth: lower results than 97% of towns in England
In Shaftesbury, 25% of pupils got grade 5 or better in both English and maths GCSE, below both Dorset’s towns (44%) and towns in England (45%). 3 state-funded schools are located in Shaftesbury’s built-up area. Shaftesbury grades D− for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
3
2 primary, 1 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
48%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
40.1
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
25%
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 Shaftesbury’s schools
Below England at both ages
Shaftesbury’s secondary results beat 7% of English towns; its primary results beat 5%. 48% of the town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 56% across Dorset. Every school’s result ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Shaftesbury grades D− for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (48% meet the standard)Better than 5% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (40.1 and 25%)Better than 7% of towns in England
The primary figure: 2 primaries in the town, 254 pupils in results over three years. Shaftesbury 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 (119 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 Shaftesbury’s 3 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 Shaftesbury’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.
Getting a place
How school places work in Shaftesbury
Dorset Council handles applications for every state school in Shaftesbury, 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 Shaftesbury’s 3 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%.
The Abbey96%
Shaftesbury79%
Shaftesbury61%
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
3 state schools in Shaftesbury
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 Shaftesbury’s schoolsA 0B 1C 0D 2
Secondary schools1 · best GCSE results first
Village schools near Shaftesbury1 · outside any built-up area; Shaftesbury 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 1Ungraded inspection only 1
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. 1 of Shaftesbury’s 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury Church of England Primary SchoolJune 2026 | Met | Needs attention | Needs attention | Expected standard | Needs attention | Expected standard | Expected standard | Needs attention |
Who runs them
1 academy trust 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherborne Area Schools' TrustShaftesbury, Shaftesbury | 2 | 1,115 | DD |
| Dorset CouncilThe Abbey | 1 | 201 | B− |
After 16
Where Shaftesbury’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Shaftesbury has its own sixth form.
Secondaries with a sixth form
1 of 1
state schools in Shaftesbury
Colleges within 12 miles
0
further-education and sixth-form colleges
Grammar schools in Dorset
0
no selective state secondaries
Towns its size
430th of 437 English towns of 6,000 to 12,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Shaftesbury, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | A+ | 83% | 78.4 | 99% |
| … | |||||
| 426 | Raunds Northamptonshire | D− | 51% | 38.2 | 26% |
| 427 | Axminster Devon | D− | 44% | 39.7 | 33% |
| 428 | Shanklin Isle of Wight | D− | 53% | 32 | 16% |
| 429 | Fakenham Norfolk | D− | 42% | 41.4 | 28% |
| 430 | Shaftesbury Dorset | D− | 48% | 40.1 | 25% |
| 431 | Mildenhall Suffolk | D− | 42% | 39.5 | 31% |
| 432 | Sandown Isle of Wight | D− | 52% | 32 | 16% |
| 433 | Tenterden Kent | D− | 48% | 37.7 | 21% |
| 434 | Cranfield Bedfordshire | D− | 46% | — | — |
| … | |||||
| 437 | Freshwater and Totland Isle of Wight | D− | 39% | — | — |
Neighbours
Shaftesbury and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
MotcombeGillinghamTisburyMarnhullMereChild OkefordSturminster NewtonShaftesbury
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury 3 schools | D− | 48% | 40.1 |
| Motcombe 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 2.1 mi | C− | 52% | 44.8 |
| Gillingham 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.6 mi | C+ | 55% | 46.8 |
| Tisbury 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6 mi | A | 68% | — |
| Marnhull 2 schools · 6.1 mi | C+ | 61% | — |
| Mere 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6.7 mi | A+ | 80% | — |
| Child Okeford 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6.8 mi | D− | 45% | — |
| Sturminster Newton 3 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 7.2 mi | D | 52% | 41.4 |
Mere has the best-graded schools nearby (A+). 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. In Shaftesbury: 7% (England’s average school: 8%).
- 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 Shaftesbury
Are schools in Shaftesbury good?
Shaftesbury’s state schools earn a D− against schools across England: primary results beat 5% of towns in England; secondary results beat 7% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Dorset council.
What is the best primary school in Shaftesbury?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury: 64% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Shaftesbury secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, it has one.
How do I apply for a school place in Shaftesbury?
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 state schools are in Shaftesbury?
3 open state-funded schools are located in Shaftesbury’s built-up area: 2 primary, 1 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.