Middle deemed secondary · Academy converter · Dorchester, DT1 2HS
Key stage 2 2024/25
#12,474 of 15,057
Worse than 82% of schools in England
Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Ofsted report cardInspected 2 Jun 2026
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138186.
Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.
| Measure | This school | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 49%, worse than England | - | 63% |
| Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing. | 5%, worse than England | - | 8% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 104, worse than England | - | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 101, worse than England | - | 105 |
| Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard. | 104, similar to England | - | 105 |
| Expected standard in reading | 65%, worse than England | - | 76% |
| Expected standard in writing | 71%, similar to England | - | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 58%, worse than England | - | 75% |
| Pupils taking tests | 124 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 527 |
| Girls | 267 |
| Boys | 260 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 22% |
| First language not English | 14% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 600 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 12.2% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 101 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 20 |
| Average class size | 24.5 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 17.1 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 11.8 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 30.88 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 10.62 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 20.83 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 30.3 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 26.7 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 2 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 1.6 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 6%, better than England | - | 8% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 16.5%, better than England | - | 21.6% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 1.5%, better than England | - | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 20.4% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 9% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0.4% |
| Permanent exclusions | 2 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 mi | Secondary | The Thomas Hardye School | Academy converter | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 4 Feb 2025. | |
| 0.4 mi | Primary | The Prince of Wales School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 3 Jun 2025. | |
| 0.8 mi | Not applicable | Sunninghill Preparatory School | Other independent school | Unrated Unrated. | |
| 0.8 mi | Middle deemed secondary | St Osmund's Church of England Middle School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Jul 2022. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | Damers First School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 3 Oct 2017. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 13 Jul 2010. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | Manor Park Church of England First School | Academy sponsor led | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 13 Jan 2026. | |
| 1.7 mi | Primary | St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 25 Jun 2019. |
Dorchester Middle School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 2 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Dorchester Middle School ranks 12,474 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 82% of schools).
In 2024/25, 49% of pupils at Dorchester Middle School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).
Dorchester Middle School has 527 pupils aged 9 to 13.
Dorchester Middle School had 600 school places in 2024/25.
At Dorchester Middle School, the average class had 24.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.1 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Dorchester Middle School missed 6% of sessions (England 8%), and 16.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.