School profile

The Purbeck School

Secondary · Academy converter · Wareham, BH20 4PF

Good

Map showing The Purbeck School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

1,136 of 3,312

Better than 65% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

1,694 of 2,536

Worse than 66% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Ofsted inspection and rating

The Purbeck School rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Dec 2014

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Unknown

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,022 of 1,180 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Adam Darley
TrustWESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityDorset
Opened01 May 2022
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 148737.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects; Progress 8 compares pupils' progress with pupils who had similar key stage 2 results.

MeasureThis schoolDorsetEngland
Attainment 8 score49-46.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths72.7%-64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths48.5%-46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths9.7%-14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67.9%-60.2%
Progress 8 scoreNot applicable--
Pupils at the end of key stage 4165--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolDorsetEngland
Average points per A-level entry30.95-35
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels33.33-35.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better11.6%-17.5%
A-level progress score-0.26--
A-level progressBelow average--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study85--
Average applied general gradeMerit+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils1,022
Girls495
Boys527
Eligible for free school meals21.4%
First language not English5.5%
SEN support126
EHC plan38
Average class size21.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
86.5%
Other White
4.6%
Other mixed
1.4%
White and Black Caribbean
1.2%
White and Asian
1%
Other ethnic group
0.6%
African
0.5%
Indian
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%
Gypsy/Roma
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolDorsetEngland
Overall absence8.2%-8%
Persistent absence26.3%-21.6%
Severe absence3.1%-3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)160
Applications (Year 7)241
First preference applications (Year 7)156
First preference offers (Year 7)156
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)10

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places1,352
Pupils on roll1,026
Unfilled places24.1%
Sixth form places220
Sixth form pupils on roll168

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.9
Pupils per adult11.2
Teachers (FTE)60.65
Teaching assistants (FTE)18.7
Support staff (FTE)41.68
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2564
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2556.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252.5
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate8.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions4.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination90.8%
Staying in education80.3%
School sixth form48%
Further education32.4%
Employment6.9%
Not sustained6.4%
Apprenticeship3.5%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination83.3%
Employment43.3%
Higher education27.8%
Not sustained14.4%
Apprenticeship7.8%
Further education2.2%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near The Purbeck School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryWareham St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.7 miPrimaryStoborough Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Purbeck School

What is The Purbeck School's Ofsted rating?

The Purbeck School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 3 Dec 2014.

How does The Purbeck School rank in England?

The Purbeck School ranks 1,136 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 65% of schools) and 1,694 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 66% of schools).

How many pupils attend The Purbeck School?

The Purbeck School has 1,022 pupils aged 11 to 18, with capacity for 1,180.

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.