Schools in DORCHESTER
24 open schools recorded with this town address, ranked by their latest Ofsted signal. How the signal works — three inspection systems currently coexist, so treat it as a guide, not a verdict.
Secondary (5)
| School | Ofsted | Ages | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset Studio School Studio schools | Good (2024) · previous system | 11–16 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown Academy converter | Good (2019) · previous system | 9–13 | — |
| St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Academy converter | Good (2022) · previous system | 9–13 | — |
| Dorchester Middle School Academy converter | Requires improvement (2023) · previous system | 9–13 | — |
| The Thomas Hardye School Academy converter | No overall grade (2025) | 13–18 | — |
Primary (16)
| School | Ofsted | Ages | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadmayne First School Community school | Good (2023) · previous system | 4–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Academy converter | Most areas: Expected standard (2026) | 2–11 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School Voluntary controlled school | Good (2023) · previous system | 3–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Cheselbourne Village School Community school | Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system | 3–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Voluntary controlled school | Good (2024) · previous system | 4–11 | Usually has places available (2026 entry) |
| Manor Park Church of England First School Academy sponsor led | Most areas: Expected standard (2026) | 2–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Piddle Valley Church of England First School Academy converter | Good (2023) · previous system | 2–9 | Usually has places available (2026 entry) |
| St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Academy converter | Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system | 2–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School Voluntary aided school | Most areas: Expected standard (2026) | 3–9 | Usually has places available (2026 entry) |
| Damers First School Academy converter | Standards maintained (2025) | 4–9 | Usually has places available (2026 entry) |
| Frome Valley CofE First School Academy converter | No overall grade (2025) | 2–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Puddletown Church of England First School Academy converter | No overall grade (2025) | 4–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Academy converter | No Ofsted rating | 4–9 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Voluntary aided school | No overall grade (2024) | 5–11 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
| The Prince of Wales School Community school | No overall grade (2025) | 2–9 | Oversubscribed (2026 entry) |
| Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney Voluntary aided school | No overall grade (2024) | 2–11 | Roughly one first choice per place (2026 entry) |
Nursery, special & other (3)
| School | Ofsted | Ages | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Learning Centre Pupil referral unit | Good (2022) · previous system | 5–18 | — |
| Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd Special post 16 institution | No Ofsted rating | 16–25 | — |
| Sunninghill Preparatory School Other independent school | No Ofsted rating | 2–13 | — |
“Demand” is first-choice applications against places at the latest entry year — admission criteria, not demand, decide offers. Data: DfE & Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources.