The Dormston School

The Dormston School is performing well, reflecting a harmonious and cohesive community where pupils value their education and teachers foster a productive learning environment. The school has strong leadership with clear ambitions for all students, and pupils report that they feel supported as they transition to further education or training. With a broad and ambitious curriculum, the school excels in several areas, including personal development and safeguarding, contributing to an overall good quality of education and management. However, there are opportunities for improvement, particularly concerning the identification of knowledge gaps in pupils' learning and the support provided to those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• High levels of pupil engagement and respect
• Ambitious curriculum offering a wide range of subjects
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Wide range of extra-curricular opportunities
• Clear leadership with a focus on personal development

Areas for Improvement

• Insufficient focus on gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills through assessment
• Need for clearer strategies to support pupils with SEND

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Dormston School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.3% of pupils at The Dormston School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Dormston School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.2% of pupils at The Dormston School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Dormston School received £8,347 and spent £8,487 for each of its 1,134 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £415,000 (£366 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Dudley · Dudley local authority: places and applications

What is The Dormston School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Dormston School is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was The Dormston School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Dormston School was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does The Dormston School have?

The Dormston School has 1,128 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Dormston School cover?

The Dormston School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Dormston School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.5, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Dormston School?

The Dormston School is at Mill Bank, Sedgley, Dudley, West Midlands, DY3 1SN.