- Ofsted:Good in every area
- Has a sixth form
Results close to the Dorchester average, high absence.
Typical GCSE gradeGrade 5
Dorchester Grade 5England Grade 5
- Days missed a year
- Pupils
- 2,014
Secondary schools in and near Dorchester
All 3 secondary schools in Dorchester, and the nearest just outside.
- Ofsted:Good
- Church of England
Results below the England average, low absence.
Ready for secondary school58%
England 62%
- Days missed a year
- Pupils
- 714
- Ofsted:Needs attention in 1 area
Results well below the England average, low absence.
Ready for secondary school49%
England 62%
- Days missed a year
- Pupils
- 527
Just outside Dorchester
The nearest ones, measured from the middle of Dorchester.
Dorchester Learning Centre
1.2 miles from Dorchester · PRU · All-through · Ages 5 to 18
- Ofsted:Good
Short-stay provision. Results aren't published in the same way.
Results
Not published for this kind of school.
- Days missed a year
- –
- Pupils
- 54
- Ofsted:Good
Results well below the Dorchester average, high absence.
51 first choices, 51 offers made
Typical GCSE gradeGrade 3
Dorchester Grade 5England Grade 5
- Days missed a year
- Pupils
- 332
- Secondary schools3
- Typical GCSE grade47.8England 46.2
- Good or Outstanding100%of graded schools ·
- Faith schools1 of 31 Church of England
- Free school meals15.5%of pupils get them
- Pupils per teacher18.3England 17.9
The big picture
How Dorchester's secondary schools spread out
Each dot is one school. Hover over a dot to see which school it is.
Days missed
Share of school sessions pupils missed, for any reason. Lower is better.
Ofsted grades in Dorchester
The last full grade for each school Ofsted has graded. 2 newer or converted schools don't have a grade yet.
- Outstanding: 0 of 1
- Good: 1 of 1
- Requires improvement: 0 of 1
- Inadequate: 0 of 1
Before you apply
Four things worth knowing in Dorchester
Some are faith schools.
1 of the 3 secondary schools in Dorchester have a religious character. When they're full, they can put families of their faith first, so check each school's rules.
Show schools with no religious characterApply by 31 October.
Apply to your council in Year 6 for a Year 7 place. Offers come out on 1 March.
Check how old the Ofsted grade is.
Some grades are many years old. Each school's page shows the date of its last inspection and what's changed since.
Show Good or OutstandingList a school you're likely to get.
Popular schools fill up from the families who live closest. Add your postcode to see which schools are nearest, and put one of them on your form.
Add my postcode
About these schools
Secondary schools in Dorchester, explained
There are 3 secondary schools in Dorchester, teaching 3,255 children. 0 are run by the council and 3 are academies or free schools.
100% of the mainstream state schools Ofsted has graded are Good or Outstanding, against 94.8% across England. 0 of them are Outstanding, though some grades are several years old, so check the date on each school's page.
Pupils in Dorchester scored an average Attainment 8 of 47.8 across their best eight GCSEs, against 46.2 across England.
15.5% of pupils get free school meals. Schools here spend £6,773 a year on each pupil, against £8,120 across England. 25.1% of pupils are persistently absent, missing one day in ten or more, against 18.1% across England.
Looking further afield? See secondary schools near me, or everything in Dorchester.
Explore
Secondary schools near meLook closer to home
Pick an area to see its secondary schools, or browse other kinds of school in and around Dorchester.
- Weymouth8 secondary schools
- Wool1 school
- Blandford Forum2 secondary schools
- Sherborne5 secondary schools
- Yeovil5 secondary schools
Other schools in Dorchester
Secondary schools nearby
All schools in Dorchester
Questions
Questions parents ask
How many secondary schools are in Dorchester?
There are 3 secondary schools in Dorchester, including state-funded, academies, and independent schools.
What are the best secondary schools in Dorchester?
The highest-ranked secondary schools in Dorchester on Eduscope are The Thomas Hardye School, St Osmund's Church of England Middle School and Dorchester Middle School. We rank each state school against schools teaching the same ages across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance.
How are secondary schools in Dorchester ranked on Eduscope?
Each state school gets a rank score out of 100. We place each measure as a percentile among state schools teaching the same ages across England, then weight them. Primary schools: latest Ofsted inspection 30%, pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 30%, pupils reaching the higher standard 10%, persistent absence (lower is better) 20%, average reading and maths scores 10%. Secondary schools: latest Ofsted inspection 25%, Attainment 8 25%, grade 5 or above in English and maths 15%, persistent absence (lower is better) 15%, pupils staying in education or work after GCSEs 10%, A level average points (sixth forms only) 10%. Results are averaged over up to three years, and an Ofsted grade older than five years counts for less. A school needs data for at least 60% of the weights. Special schools, pupil referral units, nurseries, independent schools and 16 to 19 schools aren't ranked, and are listed by Ofsted grade and name. Our methodology page explains more.
What is the average class size in Dorchester secondary schools?
The average pupil-teacher ratio across secondary schools in Dorchester is 18:1. While this is not a direct measure of class size, it indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil.
How do I choose a secondary school in Dorchester?
When choosing a secondary school in Dorchester, consider Ofsted ratings, GCSE results (Progress 8 and Attainment 8), sixth form provision, and the school's specialisms. You can compare all 3 secondary schools on Eduscope using filters for school type, gender, and admissions policy.
Sources: Department for Education school performance tables, school census and workforce data, Get Information About Schools and Ofsted. Distances are straight-line estimates.