School Chooser

Leweston School

Independent · ages 2-19MixedIndependentCatholic577 pupilsSixth formNurserySherborneDorset
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places148 spare577 pupils, 725 places
Average A level gradeB-2024/25
Pupils on roll577Census January 2024

Leweston School is an independent school in Sherborne for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 577 pupils and room for 725.

Sherborne, DT9 6EN01963 210691leweston.co.ukMr John Paget-Tomlinson headAll 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

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

Average GCSE score40.8
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: 60.960.920182019: 52.052.020192022: 50.550.520222023: 45.945.920232024: 46.146.120242025: 40.840.82025
Since 2018: -20.1
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018DorsetEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11427254501927
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 840.846.145.950.552.060.942.946.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%56%38%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%89%60%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.424.064.354.624.685.523.774.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%52%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

Art and Design89%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Geography79%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
English Literature77%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
English Language70%grades 9 to 5, England 54%

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Chemistry (50% here, 81% across England), Physics (57% here, 82% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, 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
60%England 60%
70%England 54%
77%England 58%
Physics28 entries
57%England 82%
Chemistry28 entries
50%England 81%
Biology28 entries
86%England 82%
Art and Design26 entries
89%England 58%
Geography24 entries
79%England 51%
82%England 56%
French10 entries
40%England 60%
Spanish10 entries
60%England 54%
Business10 entries
70%England 51%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Religious Studies3722%60%73%60%
English Language3727%70%84%54%
English Literature3424%77%94%58%
Physics2818%57%100%82%
Chemistry2818%50%79%81%
Biology2829%86%100%82%
Art and Design2650%89%92%58%
Geography2446%79%92%51%
Physical Education1146%82%91%56%
French1010%40%60%60%
Spanish1020%60%80%54%
Business1030%70%90%51%
Combined Science90%11%67%36%
Music650%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

30 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB-36.8 points per entry
A level progress-0.07Against 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
Students304725256451
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry36.7534.1738.6841.7838.1038.63
Average A level gradeB-C+BB+B-B
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS38.7335.9640.0043.8140.0039.12
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects24%11%28%24%26%26%
A level progressA level value added-0.07+0.09-0.28+0.39
Applied general courses: points per entry31.8824.09

A level subjects

6 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

Biology75%A* to B, England 49% · 12 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology12Biology12Geography10Mathematics7Physical Education / Sports Studies6Chemistry5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology12 entries · 17% A* or A · 75% passed
33%England 46%
Biology12 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
75%England 49%
Geography10 entries · 40% A* or A · 100% passed
60%England 51%
Mathematics7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
29%England 60%
Physical Education / Sports Studies6 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 41%
Chemistry5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 53%

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
34.044.2
Gap 10.2England 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

Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

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 roll577Census January 2024
Places72580% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support32%187 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%5 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls255 / 322
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll577576610615567510
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support32%26%21%19%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%0%1%1%1%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 25 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training60%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training60%75%91%
Education36%63%77%
Apprenticeship0%4%0%
Work24%8%14%
Not in education, work or training12%13%9%

The area around the school

Local crime rate33 per 1,000 people64% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Dorset

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
Thornford CofE Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles104No overall grade 202459Compare
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.1 miles336Report card 202619Compare
Sherborne SchoolIndependent (grammar)2.6 miles538Not inspectedCompare
Sherborne Preparatory SchoolIndependent2.6 miles204Not inspectedCompare
Sherborne School for GirlsIndependent (grammar)2.7 miles456Not inspectedCompare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.8 miles99Report card 20263Compare
Harbour Vale SchoolAcademy alternative provision sponsor led3.1 miles23Good 2024Compare
Sherborne Primary SchoolAcademy3.2 miles304Report card 20269Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Leweston School a good school?

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

How good are Leweston 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 40.8, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Leweston School have?

577 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 725 places, so it is 80% full.

Does Leweston School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 6 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
Sherborne, DT9 6EN
Telephone
01963 210691
Website
www.leweston.co.uk
Head
Mr John Paget-Tomlinson
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
Catholic
Local authority
Dorset
Ward
Yetminster
Constituency
West Dorset
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1949
URN
113920 · LAESTAB 8386025 · UKPRN 10008505
Formerly
Leweston School Junior Department

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from