Beaminster School

Beaminster School is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' assessment in all key areas of education, including the quality of education, behavior, personal development, and leadership. The school prides itself on fostering a community environment, where the ethos of ambition, service, and kindness is emphasized. Positive relationships between pupils and staff contribute to an atmosphere where students feel safe and respected. The school encourages a strong commitment to attendance and provides numerous extracurricular activities, enriching the educational experience for students. However, there are areas needing improvement, particularly regarding assessment practices and the reading curriculum. While the school has ambitious plans for its curriculum and excels in supporting students with special educational needs, some assessment strategies have not effectively challenged misconceptions or deepened knowledge for all pupils. Additionally, the reading curriculum does not cater sufficiently to older students, limiting their exposure to a wider range of texts. As this was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings will inform future developments as the school seeks to enhance its educational offerings.

Strengths

• Positive school ethos promoting ambition, service, and kindness.
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff based on mutual respect.
• Good behavior in lessons and around the school.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Engagement in a wide range of extracurricular activities.
• Comprehensive careers education and guidance for students.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment strategies sometimes fail to effectively check pupils' knowledge.
• Reading curriculum does not support older pupils in reading widely and frequently.

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 Beaminster School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Beaminster School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Beaminster School had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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, 19.6% of pupils at Beaminster School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.3% 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 Beaminster School received £8,479 and spent £8,300 for each of its 673 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £210,000 (£312 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 Dorset · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Beaminster School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beaminster School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Beaminster School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beaminster School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Beaminster School have?

Beaminster School has 673 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beaminster School cover?

Beaminster School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Beaminster School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.4, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Beaminster School?

Beaminster School is at Newtown, Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3EP.