The Swanage School
High Street, Swanage, BH19 2PH
349 pupils · 97% of 360 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Free schools
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- EDUCATION SWANAGE LIMITED
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Free school meals
- 31.9%
Ofsted
Good (2023) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 7 November 2023, published 13 December 2023. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 36.9 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 20.3% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 37.7% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 7.2% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Roughly one first choice per place — 0.98 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 62 | 61 | 132 | 62 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 84 | 83 | 133 | 84 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 50 | 49 | 102 | 50 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 61 | 59 | 116 | 61 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 60 | 58 | 117 | 60 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 37 | 33 | 77 | 36 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 63 | 61 | 112 | 63 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 68 | 66 | 105 | 67 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- The Cornerstone Academy 11.7 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Poole High School 12.6 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- The Purbeck School 12.7 km · Improved significantly (2025)
- St Edward's Roman Catholic/Church of England School, Poole 14.3 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Parkstone Grammar School 15 km · No overall grade (2025)
- St Aldhelm's Academy 15.1 km · Most areas: Needs attention (2026)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.