Schools in Dorset
132 schools with published admissions figures
The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.
How the 2026 round went in Dorset
Primary
-
Offered their first choice
93.9%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026.
-
Offered one of their three
99.0%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
2,795
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 93.9% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 99.0% were offered one of the three schools they named.
The council's primary schools between them had 3,692 places for 2,795 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.
Secondary
-
Offered their first choice
97.9%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026.
-
Offered one of their three
99.0%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
2,105
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 97.9% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 99.0% were offered one of the three schools they named.
The council's secondary schools between them had 2,797 places for 2,105 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.
Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.
If a family is refused a place
In 2026, families in Dorset lodged 120 appeals about a school place.
85 of them were heard by a panel and 28 succeeded, which is about 33 in every 100 heard.
The other 35 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.
This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.
Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.
Secondary
| School | 1st prefs per place | Demand since | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints' Church of England Academy
Weymouth |
1.00 | - | Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Beaminster School
Beaminster |
0.99 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Budmouth Academy Weymouth
Weymouth |
1.00 | - | Requires improvement Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Dorset Studio School
Dorchester |
1.00 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Lytchett Minster School
Poole |
0.98 | - | School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| Shaftesbury School
Shaftesbury |
0.88 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Sturminster Newton High School
Sturminster Newton |
0.96 | - | Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework) |
| The Blandford School
Blandford Forum |
0.99 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| The Gryphon School
Sherborne |
1.13 | - | School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| The Purbeck School
Wareham |
0.97 | - | Improved significantly Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| The Sir John Colfox Academy
Bridport |
1.00 | - | School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| The Swanage School
Swanage |
0.98 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| The Woodroffe School
Lyme Regis |
0.99 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Wey Valley Academy
Weymouth |
1.00 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
Elsewhere
- Most sought-after schools in Dorset by first preferences per place
- Schools in BH16 (4)
- Schools in BH19 (5)
- Schools in BH20 (10)
- Schools in BH21 (15)
- Schools in BH22 (4)
- Schools in BH24 (5)
- Schools in BH31 (3)
- Schools in DT1 (4)
- Schools in DT10 (6)
- Schools in DT11 (12)
- Schools in DT2 (13)
- Schools in DT3 (7)
- Schools in DT4 (9)
- Schools in DT6 (11)
- Schools in DT7 (3)
- Schools in DT8 (4)
- Schools in DT9 (10)
- Schools in SP5 (13)
- Schools in SP6 (7)
- Schools in SP7 (7)
- Schools in SP8 (6)
- Schools in TA20 (9)
- What data we hold