Dorset schools in numbers
How Dorset's 183 schools compare with South West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools183open, all types
Pupils49,648on roll
Primary schools130
Secondary schools29
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 158 schools | 20.6% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 33rdof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 157 schools | 20.1% | 21.8% | 27.1% | 29thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 158 schools | 4.9% | 9.6% | 18.6% | 142ndof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 163 schools | 15.9% | 15.1% | 14.5% | 27thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 163 schools | 12.8% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 57thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 142 schools | 24.2 | 24.5 | 25.0 | 42ndof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 142 schools | 13.2% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 123rdof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 156 schools | 18.4 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 45thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 155 schools | 16.2% | 16.5% | 15.0% | 113thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 157 schools | £49,906 | £49,716 | £51,377 | 120thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 147 schools | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 45thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 152 schools | 93.7% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 85thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 152 schools | 15.3% | 15.1% | 15.8% | 52ndof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 152 schools | 6.3 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 72ndof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 139 schools | £8,779 | £8,849 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 139 schools | £4,121 | £4,118 | £4,229 | 85thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 142 schools | 7.6% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 81stof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 142 schools | 9.2% | 13.5% | 14.1% | 43rdof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 18 schools | 38.5% | 46.5% | 46.1% | 131stof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 18 schools | 42.9 | 46.9 | 47.0 | 134thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 89 schools | 57.0% | 60.7% | 63.1% | 144thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 89 schools | 7.2% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 98thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Dorset | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 142 schools | 15% | 13% | 13% | 41stof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 101 schools | 87% | 91% | 94% | 142ndof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 141 schools | 21% | 29% | 35% | 142ndof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 147 schools | 80.4% | 82.3% | 86.2% | 132ndof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 169 schools | 67% | 66% | 52% | 39thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 169 schools | 9.5% | 8.9% | 12.0% | 93rdof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
DorsetEngland
Since 2016: -2.0%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
DorsetEngland
Since 2019: +4.9%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
DorsetEngland
Since 2017: -1.4%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
DorsetEngland
Since 2016: +11.8%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
DorsetEngland
Since 2007: +3.9