Dorset local authority: school places and applications
98% of families in Dorset local authority were offered their first-choice secondary school for September 2026, against 84% across England. 94% got their first-choice primary (England: 92%). Dorset local authority is responsible for 175 schools in South West.
Reception applications and offers in Dorset local authority
Families applying through Dorset local authority for a primary school place, by the September the children start. The council tells the DfE how many families were offered their first choice, one of their top three, or no school at all.
| Starting | Applications | First choice | England | One of top three | No offer | Offered a school in another council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 2,795 | 93.9% | 92.4% | 99.0% | 0.0% | 3.4% |
| September 2025 | 2,808 | 94.1% | 92.6% | 99.1% | 0.0% | 2.9% |
| September 2024 | 2,740 | 95.8% | 93.2% | 99.2% | 0.0% | 3.0% |
| September 2023 | 2,847 | 95.7% | 92.5% | 98.9% | 0.1% | 2.6% |
| September 2022 | 2,950 | 94.6% | 92.2% | 98.8% | 0.0% | 3.3% |
| September 2021 | 3,085 | 93.5% | 91.8% | 98.8% | 0.0% | 2.6% |
| September 2020 | 3,135 | 93.1% | 90.2% | 98.5% | 0.0% | 2.9% |
Year 7 applications and offers in Dorset local authority
Families applying through Dorset local authority for a secondary school place, by the September the children start. The council tells the DfE how many families were offered their first choice, one of their top three, or no school at all.
| Starting | Applications | First choice | England | One of top three | No offer | Offered a school in another council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 2,105 | 97.9% | 83.6% | 99.0% | 0.8% | 8.8% |
| September 2025 | 2,234 | 96.1% | 83.5% | 98.4% | 1.2% | 8.1% |
| September 2024 | 2,209 | 97.4% | 82.9% | 99.0% | 1.0% | 8.2% |
| September 2023 | 2,350 | 94.9% | 82.6% | 97.4% | 1.7% | 7.4% |
| September 2022 | 2,341 | 95.9% | 83.3% | 97.5% | 1.8% | 7.4% |
| September 2021 | 2,314 | 96.1% | 81.1% | 98.1% | 1.4% | 8.5% |
| September 2020 | 2,366 | 96.3% | 82.2% | 98.0% | 1.3% | 8.9% |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers. These are council-wide figures; how hard an individual school is to get into is on each school's page.
Primary schools in Dorset local authority compared with England
| Dorset | England average | |
|---|---|---|
| State-funded primary schools | 119 | – |
| Rated Good or better by Ofsted | 70% | 80% |
| Reading, writing and maths at the expected standard (%), average school (2025) | 56.5 | 63.2 |
| Sessions missed to absence (2024/25) | 5.3% | 5.2% |
Secondary schools in Dorset local authority compared with England
| Dorset | England average | |
|---|---|---|
| State-funded secondary schools | 28 | – |
| Rated Good or better by Ofsted | 68% | 72% |
| Attainment 8, average school (2026) | 43.5 | 47.3 |
| Sessions missed to absence (2024/25) | 8.9% | 8.6% |
Averages are across schools, not pupils, so every school counts equally. Ofsted shares use each school's latest published grade.
Expected primary pupil numbers in Dorset local authority
Dorset local authority expects primary numbers to fall by 8.2% between 2024/25 and 2029/30.
| School year | Primary pupils | Reception pupils |
|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 (actual) | 23,002 | 2,879 |
| 2025/26 (forecast) | 22,747 | 2,993 |
| 2026/27 (forecast) | 22,481 | 2,925 |
| 2027/28 (forecast) | 21,867 | 2,656 |
| 2028/29 (forecast) | 21,435 | 2,798 |
| 2029/30 (forecast) | 21,117 | 2,787 |
Expected secondary pupil numbers in Dorset local authority
Dorset local authority expects secondary numbers to fall by 6.1% between 2024/25 and 2031/32.
| School year | Secondary pupils | Year 7 pupils |
|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 (actual) | 22,261 | 3,753 |
| 2025/26 (forecast) | 22,206 | 3,693 |
| 2026/27 (forecast) | 22,063 | 3,729 |
| 2027/28 (forecast) | 21,953 | 3,720 |
| 2028/29 (forecast) | 21,838 | 3,727 |
| 2029/30 (forecast) | 21,586 | 3,582 |
| 2030/31 (forecast) | 21,304 | 3,499 |
| 2031/32 (forecast) | 20,911 | 3,353 |
Source: council forecasts submitted to the DfE school capacity survey (SCAP). Forecasts are estimates and are revised each year.
Schools by town in Dorset local authority
Ranked schools, with Ofsted ratings and results, for each town in Dorset local authority:
- Dorset 176 schools
- Wimborne 24 schools
- Dorchester 22 schools
- Weymouth 22 schools
- Blandford Forum 17 schools
- Sherborne 14 schools
- Bridport 11 schools
- Wareham 10 schools
- Shaftesbury 9 schools
- Ferndown 7 schools
- Gillingham (Dorset) 7 schools
- Sturminster Newton 6 schools