Schools in Dorset
There are 158 state-funded and grammar schools in Dorset. 4 are rated Outstanding and 93 Good by Ofsted. Each listing shows the year groups, Ofsted rating and how admissions work.
Applying for a place in Dorset
- Starting secondary school (Year 7) in September 2027: applications close on 31 October 2026. Offers are sent on 1 March 2027.
- Starting Reception in September 2027: applications close on 15 January 2027. Offers are sent on 16 April 2027.
- You apply through the council where you live, even for schools in a different area, and late applications are considered after on-time ones.
All schools in Dorset, by town
Beaminster
- Beaminster School
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT8 3EP
Ofsted: Good - Beaminster St Mary's Academy
Reception - Year 6 · DT8 3BY
Ofsted: Good - Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT8 3QL
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Mountjoy School
DT8 3HB
Ofsted: Good - Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT8 3JQ
Ofsted: Good
Blandford Forum
- Ofsted: Good
- Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 9QD
No rating on record - Downlands Community School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT11 8BG
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Durweston Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT11 0QA
Ofsted: Good - Milborne St Andrew First School
Reception - Year 4 · DT11 0JE
Ofsted: Good - Milldown CofE Academy
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 7SN
Ofsted: Good - Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 8WF
No rating on record - Shillingstone Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 0TX
Ofsted: Good - Spetisbury CofE Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 9DF
Ofsted: Good - St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford
Reception - Year 6 · DT11 8EL
No rating on record - The Blandford School
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT11 7SQ
Ofsted: Good - The Forum Centre
Year 1 - Year 11 · DT11 7BX
No rating on record
Bridport
- Bridport Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT6 3BJ
Ofsted: Good - Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT6 5LA
Ofsted: Good - Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT6 4QS
No rating on record - Charmouth Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT6 6LR
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Loders CofE Primary Academy
Nursery - Year 6 · DT6 3SA
No rating on record - Marshwood CofE Primary Academy
Reception - Year 6 · DT6 5QA
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT6 3TB
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Year 1 - Year 6 · DT6 5JE
Ofsted: Good - St Catherine's Roman Catholic School
Year 1 - Year 6 · DT6 3TR
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT6 6HD
Ofsted: Not judged - The Sir John Colfox Academy
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT6 3DT
Ofsted: Good
Dorchester
- Broadmayne First School
Reception - Year 4 · DT2 8PH
Ofsted: Good - Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT2 7BY
No rating on record - Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT2 7LA
Ofsted: Good - Damers First School
Reception - Year 4 · DT1 3DF
No rating on record - Dorchester Learning Centre
Year 1 - Year 13 · DT2 9PS
Ofsted: Good - Dorchester Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · DT1 2HS
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Dorset Studio School
Year 7 - Year 11 · DT2 8PX
Ofsted: Good - Frome Valley CofE First School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT2 8WR
Ofsted: Not judged - Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT2 0AX
Ofsted: Good - Manor Park Church of England First School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT1 2BH
Ofsted: Inadequate - Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT2 7QL
Ofsted: Good - Puddletown Church of England First School
Reception - Year 4 · DT2 8FZ
Ofsted: Not judged - St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Nursery - Year 4 · DT1 2DD
Ofsted: Good - St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
Reception - Year 4 · DT2 9RD
No rating on record - St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown
Year 5 - Year 8 · DT2 8SA
Ofsted: Good - St Osmund's Church of England Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · DT1 2DZ
Ofsted: Good - Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Year 1 - Year 6 · DT2 0JP
Ofsted: Not judged - The Prince of Wales School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT1 2HH
Ofsted: Not judged - The Thomas Hardye School
Year 9 - Year 13 · DT1 2ET
Ofsted: Not judged - Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney
Nursery - Year 6 · DT2 9AU
Ofsted: Not judged - Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT2 9LW
Ofsted: Requires improvement
DORCHESTER
- Cheselbourne Village School
Nursery - Year 4 · DT2 7NT
Ofsted: Good
Dorset
- Harbour School Dorset
BH20 6NU
Ofsted: Good
Ferndown
- Ferndown First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH22 9FB
Ofsted: Good - Ferndown Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH22 9UP
Ofsted: Good - Ferndown Upper School
BH22 9EY
No rating on record - Oakhurst Community First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH22 0DY
Ofsted: Good - Parley First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH22 8QE
Ofsted: Good - St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery
Nursery - Year 4 · BH22 0JF
Ofsted: Not judged - West Moors Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH22 0DA
Ofsted: Good
Fordingbridge
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
Nursery - Year 4 · SP6 3AJ
Ofsted: Good
Gillingham
- Gillingham Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP8 4QR
No rating on record - Gillingham School
Year 7 - Year 13 · SP8 4QP
Ofsted: Good - Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP8 5QD
Ofsted: Good - St George's Church of England School, Bourton
Nursery - Year 6 · SP8 5BN
Ofsted: Not judged - St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · SP8 4GG
Ofsted: Good - Stower Provost Community School
Reception - Year 6 · SP8 5LX
Ofsted: Not judged - Wyke Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP8 4SH
Ofsted: Requires improvement
Lyme Regis
- St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis
Reception - Year 6 · DT7 3DY
Ofsted: Requires improvement - The Woodroffe School
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT7 3LX
Ofsted: Good
Poole
- Lytchett Matravers Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · BH16 6DY
Ofsted: Good - Lytchett Minster School
BH16 6JD
Ofsted: Good - Upton Infant School
Reception - Year 2 · BH16 5LQ
Ofsted: Good - Upton Junior School
Year 3 - Year 6 · BH16 5NQ
Ofsted: Good
Portland
- Atlantic Academy Portland
Reception - Year 11 · DT5 2NA
Ofsted: Good - St George's Foundation Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT5 2BD
No rating on record
Ringwood
- St Ives Primary & Nursery School
Nursery - Year 6 · BH24 2LE
Ofsted: Outstanding
Salisbury
- Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
Nursery - Year 4 · SP5 5NJ
Ofsted: Good
Shaftesbury
- Motcombe CofE Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP7 9NT
Ofsted: Good - Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP7 8PZ
Ofsted: Good - Shaftesbury School
Year 7 - Year 13 · SP7 8ER
Ofsted: Good - St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · SP7 0PF
Ofsted: Not judged - The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury
Reception - Year 6 · SP7 8HQ
Ofsted: Good
Sherborne
- All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 5NQ
Ofsted: Good - Harbour Vale School
Year 1 - Year 11 · DT9 4DN
Ofsted: Good - Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 6AQ
Ofsted: Good - Sherborne Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 4AJ
No rating on record - St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 6LS
Ofsted: Good - St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 6RH
Ofsted: Good - The Gryphon School
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT9 4EQ
Ofsted: Good - Thornford CofE Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 6QY
Ofsted: Not judged - Trent Young's CofE Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT9 4SW
No rating on record
Stalbridge
- Stalbridge Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT10 2LP
Ofsted: Good
Sturminster Newton
- Hazelbury Bryan Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT10 2ED
Ofsted: Good - St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull
Reception - Year 6 · DT10 1PZ
Ofsted: Requires improvement - St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull
Nursery - Year 6 · DT10 1JX
Ofsted: Good - Sturminster Newton High School
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT10 1DT
No rating on record - William Barnes Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT10 1BZ
Ofsted: Good - Yewstock School
DT10 1EW
Ofsted: Outstanding
Swanage
- St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers
Nursery - Year 6 · BH19 3HB
Ofsted: Good - St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage
Reception - Year 6 · BH19 1QE
Ofsted: Good - Swanage Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · BH19 2EY
Ofsted: Good - Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH19 2PH
Ofsted: Good - The Swanage School
Year 7 - Year 11 · BH19 2PH
Ofsted: Good
Thorncombe
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Nursery - Year 6 · TA20 4NE
Ofsted: Requires improvement
Verwood
- Emmanuel Church of England Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH31 6JF
Ofsted: Good - Hillside Community First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH31 7HE
Ofsted: Good - Trinity Church of England First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH31 7PG
Ofsted: Not judged - Verwood Church of England First School
Nursery - Year 4 · BH31 6JF
Ofsted: Good
Wareham
- Bere Regis Primary and Preschool
Nursery - Year 6 · BH20 7DB
Ofsted: Not judged - Bovington Academy
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 6LE
Ofsted: Good - Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · BH20 5EE
Ofsted: Good - Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 5SA
Ofsted: Not judged - Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 7BN
Ofsted: Good - St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 6DS
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Stoborough Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 5AD
Ofsted: Good - The Purbeck School
Year 7 - Year 13 · BH20 4PF
No rating on record - Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · BH20 4PG
Ofsted: Good - Wool Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · BH20 6BT
Ofsted: Good
Weymouth
- All Saints' Church of England Academy
Year 7 - Year 11 · DT4 9BJ
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT4 0LQ
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Bincombe Valley Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT3 6AW
No rating on record - Budmouth Academy Weymouth
Year 7 - Year 13 · DT4 9SY
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Chickerell Primary Academy
Nursery - Year 6 · DT3 4AT
No rating on record - Conifers Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT4 0QF
Ofsted: Good - Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery
Nursery - Year 6 · DT4 9QX
Ofsted: Good - Portesham Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT3 4HP
Ofsted: Not judged - Radipole Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT3 5HS
Ofsted: Good - Southill Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT4 9UF
Ofsted: Good - St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT3 6AA
Ofsted: Good - St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth
Reception - Year 6 · DT4 0RH
Ofsted: Good - St John's Church of England Primary School
Nursery - Year 6 · DT4 7TP
Ofsted: Good - St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School
Reception - Year 6 · DT3 5DQ
Ofsted: Not judged - The Compass
Year 1 - Year 11 · DT4 0QU
No rating on record - Westfield Arts College
DT3 6AA
Ofsted: Outstanding - Wey Valley Academy
Year 7 - Year 11 · DT3 5AN
Ofsted: Good - Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School
Year 3 - Year 6 · DT4 9NU
Ofsted: Good - Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery
Nursery - Year 2 · DT4 9LU
No rating on record - Wyvern Academy
DT3 5AL
No rating on record
Wimborne
- Allenbourn Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH21 1PL
Ofsted: Not judged - Beaucroft Foundation School
BH21 2SS
Ofsted: Good - Colehill First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 2LZ
Ofsted: Good - Cranborne Church of England First School
Nursery - Year 4 · BH21 5QB
Ofsted: Good - Cranborne Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH21 5RP
No rating on record - Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 7LX
No rating on record - Hayeswood First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 2HN
Ofsted: Good - Henbury View First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 3TR
Ofsted: Good - Lockyer's Middle School
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH21 3HQ
Ofsted: Good - Pamphill Church of England First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 4EE
Ofsted: Good - Queen Elizabeth's School
Year 9 - Year 13 · BH21 4DT
Ofsted: Requires improvement - Rushcombe First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH21 3PX
Ofsted: Outstanding - St James Church of England First School
Nursery - Year 4 · BH21 4JN
Ofsted: Not judged - St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 1BX
Ofsted: Good - St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill
Year 5 - Year 8 · BH21 7AB
Ofsted: Good - Sturminster Marshall First School
Reception - Year 4 · BH21 4AY
Ofsted: Not judged - Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School
Nursery - Year 4 · BH21 6RF
Ofsted: Good - Wimborne First School and Nursery
Nursery - Year 4 · BH21 4FW
Ofsted: Good - Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery
Nursery - Year 4 · BH21 5LX
Ofsted: Good - Witchampton Church of England First School
Year 1 - Year 4 · BH21 5AP
Ofsted: Good
Winterborne Whitechurch
- Dunbury Church of England Academy
Nursery - Year 6 · DT11 0AW
Ofsted: Good