Councils · England · Dorset
Schools in Dorset, and the dates that matter.
Every state school in the council area — 120 primary, 19 secondary — with Dorset’s application deadlines, offer days, and where to apply. One page, kept current from official sources.
September 2027 entry · Sources: Primary council source · Secondary council source
Primary · Reception 2027
15 January 2027
National deadline. Offers arrive 16 April. We suggest submitting by 8 January to stay clear of the rush.
Apply on Dorset's portal →Verify the exact date on the council's scheme →Secondary · Year 7 2027
31 October 2026
National deadline. Offers arrive 1 March. Grammar tests, where they apply, happen even earlier. We suggest submitting by 24 October to stay clear of the rush.
Apply on Dorset's portal →Verify the exact date on the council's scheme →01 / EVERY SCHOOL IN DORSET
Find your shortlist.
All 180 state and independent schools in the council area, straight from the Department for Education’s register. Open any school for admissions details, Ofsted history and open days.
Primary · 120
All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Not judged yet
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Atlantic Academy Portland
Ofsted · Good
Beaminster St Mary's Academy
Ofsted · Good
Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Bere Regis Primary and Preschool
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Bincombe Valley Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Bovington Academy
Ofsted · Good
Bridport Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Broadmayne First School
Ofsted · Good
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School
Ofsted · Good
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Ofsted · Good
Charmouth Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Cheselbourne Village School
Ofsted · Good
Chickerell Primary Academy
Ofsted · Good
Colehill First School
Ofsted · Good
Conifers Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Cranborne Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Damers First School
Ofsted · Good
Downlands Community School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Dunbury Church of England Academy
Ofsted · Good
Durweston Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Ferndown First School
Ofsted · Good
Frome Valley CofE First School
Ofsted · Good
Gillingham Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School
Ofsted · Outstanding
Hayeswood First School
Ofsted · Good
Hazelbury Bryan Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Henbury View First School
Ofsted · Good
Hillside Community First School
Ofsted · Good
Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery
Ofsted · Good
Loders CofE Primary Academy
Ofsted · Good
Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Lytchett Matravers Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Manor Park Church of England First School
Ofsted · Inadequate
Marshwood CofE Primary Academy
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Milborne St Andrew First School
Ofsted · Good
Milldown CofE Academy
Ofsted · Good
Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Motcombe CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Oakhurst Community First School
Ofsted · Good
Pamphill Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Parley First School
Ofsted · Good
Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Portesham Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Inadequate
Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Puddletown Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Radipole Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Rushcombe First School
Ofsted · Outstanding
Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Sherborne Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Shillingstone Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
Ofsted · Good
Southill Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Spetisbury CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Not judged
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth
Ofsted · Good
St Catherine's Roman Catholic School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers
Ofsted · Good
St George's Church of England School, Bourton
Ofsted · Outstanding
St George's Foundation Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull
Ofsted · Requires improvement
St Ives Primary & Nursery School
Ofsted · Outstanding
St James Church of England First School
Ofsted · Outstanding
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
Ofsted · Good
St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne
Ofsted · Good
St John's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Ofsted · Good
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull
Ofsted · Good
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage
Ofsted · Good
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
Not judged yet
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas
Ofsted · Good
St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery
Ofsted · Good
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis
Ofsted · Requires improvement
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford
Ofsted · Good
St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Outstanding
Stalbridge Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Not judged
Stoborough Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Stower Provost Community School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Sturminster Marshall First School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Swanage Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Ofsted · Good
The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury
Ofsted · Good
The Prince of Wales School
Ofsted · Good
Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney
Ofsted · Not judged
Thornford CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Not judged
Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School
Ofsted · Good
Trent Young's CofE Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Trinity Church of England First School
Ofsted · Outstanding
Upton Infant School
Ofsted · Good
Upton Junior School
Ofsted · Good
Verwood Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
William Barnes Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Wimborne First School and Nursery
Ofsted · Good
Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery
Ofsted · Good
Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Witchampton Church of England First School
Ofsted · Good
Wool Church of England Primary School
Ofsted · Good
Wyke Primary School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School
Ofsted · Good
Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery
Ofsted · Good
Secondary · 19
All Saints' Church of England Academy
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Atlantic Academy Portland
Ofsted · Good
Beaminster School
Ofsted · Good
Budmouth Academy Weymouth
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Dorset Studio School
Ofsted · Good
Ferndown Upper School
Ofsted · Good
Gillingham School
Ofsted · Good
Lytchett Minster School
Ofsted · Good
Queen Elizabeth's School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Shaftesbury School
Ofsted · Good
Sturminster Newton High School
Ofsted · Good
The Blandford School
Ofsted · Good
The Gryphon School
Ofsted · Good
The Purbeck School
Ofsted · Good
The Sir John Colfox Academy
Ofsted · Good
The Swanage School
Ofsted · Good
The Thomas Hardye School
Ofsted · Outstanding
The Woodroffe School
Ofsted · Good
Wey Valley Academy
Ofsted · Good
Special & other · 42
Allenbourn Middle School
Ofsted · Outstanding
Arbour House School
Ofsted · Good
Aurora Beeches School
Ofsted · Good
Aurora Boveridge College
Ofsted · Good
Beaucroft Foundation School
Ofsted · Good
Bryanston School
Not judged yet
Castle Court School
Not judged yet
Clayesmore School
Not judged yet
Coastland College
Not judged yet
Cranborne Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Dorchester Middle School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Dumpton School
Not judged yet
Emmanuel Church of England Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Ferndown Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Graduately Developing Futures
Ofsted · Good
Hanford School
Not judged yet
Harbour School Dorset
Ofsted · Good
Kingfisher School
Not judged yet
Leweston School
Not judged yet
Lockyer's Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Millie College
Not judged yet
Milton Abbey School
Not judged yet
Mountjoy School
Ofsted · Good
Port Regis Preparatory School
Not judged yet
Ringwood Waldorf School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
Sheiling College
Ofsted · Good
Sheiling School
Ofsted · Good
Sherborne Preparatory School
Not judged yet
Sherborne School
Not judged yet
Sherborne School for Girls
Not judged yet
St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown
Ofsted · Good
St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill
Ofsted · Good
St Osmund's Church of England Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Sunninghill Preparatory School
Not judged yet
The Forum School
Ofsted · Requires improvement
The Luccombe Hub
Ofsted · Good
West Moors Middle School
Ofsted · Good
Westfield Arts College
Ofsted · Outstanding
Wyvern Academy
Ofsted · Good
Yarrells Preparatory School
Not judged yet
Yewstock School
Ofsted · Outstanding
02 / HOW APPLYING WORKS HERE
One form, through Dorset.
If you live in Dorset, you apply through the council’s own portal — even for schools in another council’s area.
Preferences
List as many schools as the form allows — you’ll see the limit when you start your application. Rank in your true order; schools never see it.
Own-criteria schools
Some Dorset secondaries are academies or faith schools that set their own entry criteria — check each school’s page for extra forms before the deadline.
Plain-English guides
Primary admissions, explained
The 15 January deadline and how Reception offers work.
Secondary admissions, explained
The 31 October deadline and the traps that come earlier.
How school appeals work
Your right to appeal, and honest odds of success.
Waiting lists, explained
How they're ordered, and why positions move both ways.
03 / NEARBY
Looking across the border?
Families near Dorset often also shortlist schools in these neighbouring council areas.