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Best Secondary schools in Dorset

Top 20 by latest Ofsted graded judgements (showing top 10 – Go Pro for full list)
Quick compare: Top 3 secondary schools in Dorset
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These rankings cover secondary schools in the district of Dorset based on the most recent graded Ofsted inspections. We order by headline grade first, then by publication date; ties are broken using “Quality of education” (where available), then contextual signals.

Graded secondary schools
18
Outstanding
1
Good
14
Median inspection year
2023

Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)

O: 6% · G: 78% · RI: 17% · I: 0%

Summary

Outstanding: 1 Good: 14 Requires improvement: 3 Inadequate: 0
Earliest inspection
Jul 2013 (exact date for Pro)
Latest inspection
May 2024 (exact date for Pro)

These rankings use each school’s latest graded Ofsted inspection. Ungraded visits do not replace the most recent graded judgement.

  • 1.
    The Thomas Hardye School
    Secondary • Academy converter • Dorchester • DT1 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Apr 2015 – graded Outstanding by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Outstanding
  • 2.
    The Blandford School
    Secondary • Voluntary controlled school • Blandford Forum • DT11 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on May 2024 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 3.
    Dorset Studio School
    Secondary • Studio schools • Dorchester • DT2 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on May 2024 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 4.
    The Woodroffe School
    Secondary • Foundation school • Lyme Regis • DT7 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Jan 2024 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 5.
    The Swanage School
    Secondary • Free schools • Swanage • BH19 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Dec 2023 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 6.
    Wey Valley Academy
    Secondary • Academy converter • Weymouth • DT3 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Nov 2023 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 7.
    Beaminster School
    Secondary • Voluntary controlled school • Beaminster • DT8 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Nov 2023 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 8.
    Gillingham School
    Secondary • Voluntary controlled school • Gillingham • SP8 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Jul 2023 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 9.
    Shaftesbury School
    Secondary • Academy converter • Shaftesbury • SP7 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on May 2023 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
  • 10.
    The Sir John Colfox Academy
    Secondary • Academy converter • Bridport • DT6 (full postcode for Pro)

    Last inspected on Apr 2018 – graded Good by Ofsted. (exact date for Pro)

    Good
Showing top 10 of 18. Go Pro to see the full list and unlock exact dates & full postcodes.
How we rank these schools
  1. Headline Ofsted grade orders: Outstanding (1), then Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
  2. More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
  3. Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
  4. We may consider contextual signals (e.g., %FSM, roll size) to break remaining ties.

Ungraded visits don’t replace the last graded judgement.

About Ofsted grades
  • Outstanding (1) — highest judgement across key areas.
  • Good (2) — consistently meets standards.
  • Requires improvement (3) — not yet good; clear areas to improve.
  • Inadequate (4) — significant weaknesses found.

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