The Woodroffe School

The Woodroffe School demonstrates good overall effectiveness in its recent inspection, with strong academic performance and a supportive environment for students. High expectations and a positive school culture foster respectful relationships among pupils and staff, who work together to achieve well. Extra-curricular opportunities in various subjects, along with a robust personal development program, further enrich the student experience. However, the school must address areas where the curriculum does not fully accommodate the needs of all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• High levels of academic and pastoral support for pupils
• Positive and inclusive school culture with respectful relationships
• Ambitious and broad curriculum including subjects like Latin and Mandarin
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers with effective instructional strategies
• Variety of extra-curricular clubs and leadership roles for pupils
• Effective careers program providing impartial advice to pupils
• High levels of attendance among most pupils and a positive attitude towards learning

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum design and adaptation needs improvement for SEND and disadvantaged pupils

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 Woodroffe School attended 90.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.3% 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, 7.0% of pupils at The Woodroffe School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Woodroffe School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.2% 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, 9.4% of pupils at The Woodroffe School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 5 pupils.

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 Woodroffe School received £8,182 and spent £8,453 for each of its 886 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £215,000 (£242 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 The Woodroffe School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Woodroffe School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was The Woodroffe School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Woodroffe School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does The Woodroffe School have?

The Woodroffe School has 886 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Woodroffe School cover?

The Woodroffe School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Woodroffe School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.0, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Woodroffe School?

The Woodroffe School is at Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3LX.