Local authority · South West
Secondary schools in Dorset
Where pupils go after Year 11 and after sixth form, school by school, with GCSE results. Destinations are for the 2023 leavers; results are from 2025.
What the data says
Dorset has 29 state-funded secondary schools. Of the 3,781 pupils who finished Year 11 here in 2023, 85% stayed in education (England 86%): 43% in a school sixth form, 39% at a further education college.
Apprenticeships take 5% of leavers, well above the England rate of 3%.
After sixth form, 27% of students in Dorset went to university (England 37%), and 19% of level 3 students reached one of the most selective universities (England 19%).
GCSE results in 2025: Attainment 8 of 43.2 against 46.1 for England; 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 45%).
After Year 11: Dorset against England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 3,781 | 607,348 |
| Stayed in education | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 43% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 39% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 6% |
State-funded secondary schools (29)
Sorted by name. Click a school for its full picture. “Stayed in education” counts school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and FE colleges together.
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allenbourn Middle SchoolAcademy converter | 499 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| All Saints' Church of England AcademyAcademy sponsor led | 598 | 86% | 23% | 63% | 2% | — | 35.6 | 33% |
| Atlantic Academy PortlandAcademy sponsor led · sixth form | 769 | 83% | 21% | 60% | 7% | — | 34.0 | 19% |
| Beaminster SchoolVoluntary controlled school · sixth form | 673 | 81% | 43% | 33% | 8% | 22% | 47.0 | 44% |
| Budmouth Academy WeymouthAcademy sponsor led · sixth form | 1,466 | 84% | 43% | 41% | 5% | 25% | 42.0 | 40% |
| Cranborne Middle SchoolCommunity school | 265 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dorchester Middle SchoolAcademy converter | 527 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dorset Studio SchoolStudio schools | 332 | 64% | 3% | 61% | 12% | — | 34.1 | 15% |
| Emmanuel Church of England Middle SchoolAcademy sponsor led | 434 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ferndown Middle SchoolAcademy converter | 600 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ferndown Upper SchoolCommunity school · sixth form | 1,134 | 88% | 61% | 25% | 1% | 30% | 45.7 | 45% |
| Gillingham SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | — | 82% | 51% | 29% | 7% | 39% | 42.7 | 42% |
| Lockyer's Middle SchoolAcademy converter | 436 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lytchett Minster SchoolFoundation school · sixth form | 1,624 | 85% | 43% | 40% | 5% | 28% | 46.8 | 47% |
| Queen Elizabeth's SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 1,375 | 83% | 45% | 37% | 6% | 37% | 43.3 | 38% |
| Shaftesbury SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 782 | 89% | 57% | 28% | 5% | 36% | 39.1 | 28% |
| St Mary's Church of England Middle School, PuddletownAcademy converter | 441 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Michael's Church of England Middle School, ColehillAcademy converter | 563 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Osmund's Church of England Middle SchoolAcademy converter | 714 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sturminster Newton High SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 605 | 77% | 36% | 40% | 7% | 34% | 46.1 | 49% |
| The Blandford SchoolVoluntary controlled school · sixth form | 1,103 | 85% | 48% | 36% | 8% | 57% | 47.0 | 46% |
| The Gryphon SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 1,569 | 86% | 53% | 31% | 5% | 42% | 46.7 | 44% |
| The Purbeck SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 1,022 | 81% | 44% | 37% | 6% | 29% | 41.9 | 37% |
| The Sir John Colfox AcademyAcademy converter · sixth form | 756 | 83% | 35% | 43% | 6% | 24% | 43.0 | 34% |
| The Swanage SchoolFree schools | 349 | 87% | 27% | 57% | 2% | — | 36.9 | 20% |
| The Thomas Hardye SchoolAcademy converter · sixth form | 2,014 | 89% | 55% | 32% | 4% | 43% | 49.8 | 50% |
| The Woodroffe SchoolFoundation school · sixth form | 886 | 91% | 51% | 38% | 5% | 44% | 51.4 | 55% |
| West Moors Middle SchoolCommunity school | 240 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wey Valley AcademyAcademy converter | 994 | 85% | 14% | 71% | 3% | — | 41.0 | 49% |
Independent schools, colleges and special schools with published data (14)
| School | Pupils | Stayed in education | School sixth form | FE college | Apprenticeship | To university | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastland Collegecollege · Further education | — | — | — | — | — | 12% | — | — |
| Bryanston Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form · selective | 776 | — | — | — | — | — | 9.3 | 0% |
| Clayesmore Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form | 414 | — | — | — | — | — | 28.5 | 0% |
| Leweston Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form | 577 | — | — | — | — | — | 40.8 | 0% |
| Milton Abbey Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form | 190 | — | — | — | — | — | 21.9 | 0% |
| Ringwood Waldorf Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form | 248 | — | — | — | — | — | 6.6 | 0% |
| Sherborne Schoolindependent · Other independent school · sixth form · selective | 538 | — | — | — | — | — | 28.5 | 0% |
| Sherborne School for Girlsindependent · Other independent school · sixth form · selective | 456 | — | — | — | — | — | 34.3 | 0% |
| Aurora Beeches Schoolspecial · Other independent special school · selective | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | 5.4 | 7% |
| Beaucroft Foundation Schoolspecial · Foundation special school · sixth form | 241 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | — | — | — |
| Westfield Arts Collegespecial · Foundation special school · sixth form | 233 | 96% | 0% | 4% | 0% | — | — | — |
| Yewstock Schoolspecial · Community special school · sixth form | 167 | 100% | 0% | 42% | 0% | — | — | — |
| Harbour School Dorsetstate · Free schools special · sixth form | 145 | 78% | 0% | 22% | 0% | — | 3.9 | 0% |
| Wyvern Academystate · Academy special converter · sixth form | 95 | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% | — | — | — |