School Chooser

Clayesmore School

Independent · ages 2-19MixedIndependent414 pupilsSixth formNurseryBlandford ForumDorset
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places236 spare414 pupils, 650 places
Average A level gradeC+2024/25
Pupils on roll414Census January 2024

Clayesmore School is an independent school in Blandford Forum for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 414 pupils and room for 650.

Iwerne Minster, Blandford Forum, DT11 8LL01747 813111clayesmore.comMrs Nicola Jones (Acting Head) headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

83 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score28.5
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 48.148.120182019: 47.347.320192022: 27.327.320222023: 25.125.120232024: 25.725.720242025: 28.528.52025
Since 2018: -19.6
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018DorsetEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 118385877510391
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 828.525.725.127.347.348.142.946.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%40%36%38%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%66%65%60%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.642.412.412.573.944.153.774.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%33%32%37%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Food Preparation & Nutrition86%grades 9 to 5, England 52%
Art and Design90%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Physical Education87%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Geography76%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
49%England 36%
Geography38 entries
76%England 51%
Business38 entries
50%England 51%
Physics30 entries
83%England 82%
Chemistry29 entries
86%England 81%
Biology29 entries
83%England 82%
Art and Design29 entries
90%England 58%
Spanish23 entries
74%England 54%
87%England 56%
86%England 52%
French20 entries
80%England 60%
74%England 50%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Combined Science516%49%78%36%
Geography3845%76%87%51%
Business3813%50%71%51%
Physics3050%83%97%82%
Chemistry2955%86%100%81%
Biology2952%83%100%82%
Art and Design2917%90%100%58%
Spanish2344%74%96%54%
Physical Education2335%87%100%56%
Food Preparation & Nutrition2236%86%100%52%
French2045%80%95%60%
Design & Technology1916%74%90%50%
Computer Science825%38%63%56%
Music757%100%100%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

64 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC+34.8 points per entry
A level progress-0.06Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better24%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students64657471169185
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry34.7930.1935.3036.5833.3737.17
Average A level gradeC+CB-B-C+B-
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS38.3832.3237.6136.7931.3036.21
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects24%21%21%21%15%16%
A level progressA level value added-0.06-0.26+0.18+0.35
Applied general courses: points per entry22.8633.3336.5732.79

A level subjects

13 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Geography73%A* to B, England 51% · 11 entries
Biology70%A* to B, England 49% · 10 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPhotography16Business Studies15Design and Technology (Product Design)12Mathematics11Geography11Psychology10Biology10Art and Design9Chemistry8English Literature7Economics7Physics5Fine Art5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Photography16 entries · 19% A* or A · 100% passed
38%England 58%
Business Studies15 entries · 20% A* or A · 93% passed
33%England 47%
Design and Technology (Product Design)12 entries · 25% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 38%
Mathematics11 entries · 46% A* or A · 100% passed
64%England 60%
Geography11 entries · 27% A* or A · 100% passed
73%England 51%
Psychology10 entries · 0% A* or A · 80% passed
10%England 46%
Biology10 entries · 40% A* or A · 100% passed
70%England 49%
Art and Design9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 60%
Chemistry8 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
63%England 53%
English Literature7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
86%England 52%
Economics7 entries · 29% A* or A · 86% passed
43%England 57%
Physics5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 51%
Fine Art5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 65%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
26.331.4
Gap 5.1England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Dorset council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll414Census January 2024
Places65064% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support35%143 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%6 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls213 / 201
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll414489377395381395
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%23%31%27%30%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%2%2%1%2%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 74 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training73%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training73%75%70%
Education46%38%46%
Apprenticeship0%2%1%
Work27%35%22%
Not in education, work or training18%19%11%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Dorset
Nearest bus stop220 mWar Memorial, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles101No overall grade 202459Compare
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child OkefordAcademy2.4 miles125Report card 20261Compare
Hanford SchoolIndependent2.5 miles69Not inspectedCompare
The Forum SchoolIndependent3.2 miles31Not inspectedCompare
Shillingstone Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles103Good 202366Compare
Durweston Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles144Report card 202671Compare
Pimperne Church of England VC Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles183Not inspected52Compare
Bryanston SchoolIndependent (grammar)4.6 miles776Not inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Clayesmore School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Clayesmore School yet.

How good are Clayesmore School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 28.5, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Clayesmore School have?

414 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 650 places, so it is 64% full.

Does Clayesmore School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 13 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Iwerne Minster, Blandford Forum, DT11 8LL
Telephone
01747 813111
Website
www.clayesmore.com
Headteacher
Mrs Nicola Jones (Acting Head)
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 2-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Dorset
Ward
Beacon
Constituency
North Dorset
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1925
URN
113912 · LAESTAB 8386009 · UKPRN 10008167

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from