Just over 100 miles from London and around two hours away by train, Dorset is renowned for its stunning coastline, rolling countryside and pretty market towns.
It’s long been a favourite holiday destination and now attracts relocating city dwellers who are drawn by the beautiful landscape, the relatively mild climate, seaside resorts such as Bournemouth, Weymouth and Lyme Regis and quaintly named villages like Piddletrenthide, Piddlehinton and Gussage St Michael.
The county’s idyllic landscape has inspired many of our greatest writers, Thomas Hardy and John Fowles among them, and has featured in scores of films over the years. Movie buffs will spot famous Dorset landmarks in a host of blockbuster movies – from Far from the Madding Crowd, shot in Sherborne and at Mapperton House near Beaminster, to the epic Dunkirk, which featured scenes at Weymouth Harbour and Swanage Railway.
Dorset is also remarkably unspoilt, perhaps because it’s one of only eight counties in England without a motorway. If you like the idea of catching a boat to school or work, don’t miss the Sandbanks Ferry, which shuttles back and forth between Studland and Sandbanks every 20 minutes; children who live in Studland, Worth Matravers and Swanage but go to school in Bournemouth and Poole have the bonus of a sea ride to classes every morning.
| Local Education Authorities in Dorset |
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| Dorset Council |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council |
Dorset offers a plethora of good schools, from sought-after state schools to notable private day and boarding schools. With that in mind, we have focused on four areas of the county that are popular with families – Bournemouth and Poole, Blandford, Sherborne and Dorchester.
Two local authorities have responsibility for state schools in Dorset: Dorset Council, which covers most of the county, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, known as BCP. Most of the Dorset Council area operates a two-tier comprehensive system, where pupils attend a primary school before progressing to secondary school – but Corfe Mullen, Dorchester, Ferndown and West Moors have a three-tier system of first, middle and secondary schools. In Dorset’s three-tier areas pupils move to middle school in year 5 and to secondary school in year 9. There are four grammar schools in Dorset – for girls, Bournemouth School for Girls and Parkstone Grammar School, and for boys, Bournemouth School, and Poole Grammar School – and competition for places is high.
Given its relatively small geographical area, Dorset has an impressive number of distinguished private day and boarding schools, including Bryanston School, Canford School, Clayesmore School, Milton Abbey, Sherborne Girls and Sherborne School.
The Good Schools Guide publishes essential information on all Dorset schools and currently reviews 19 of the best in the independent and state maintained sectors, as well as many more in neighbouring counties. Get instant online access to the reviews now.
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Throughout the year The Good Schools Guide consultants successfully help parents from all over the world to find the best schools for their children. Our UK team is spread out across the country and each expert has their own specialist area of knowledge. If you would like us to help you find a school place or are keen to know more about your family’s education options in Dorset, we are ready to help. Read about our education consultancy services or get in touch at consultants@goodschoolsguide.co.uk
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We examined the value-added from KS2 to GCSE for 2022 to see which state selective grammar schools added the most value to their offspring. A note of caution - the more highly selective a grammar school, the less scope there will be to add value.
Grammar schools are state-funded, academically selective senior schools. The education a child receives at grammar school is paid for by the state unlike at private schools which provide education for a fee. There are currently around 163 located in 36 English local authorities, with around 167,000 pupils between them. Northern Ireland has a further 67 grammar schools, but there are none in Wales or Scotland. A word of caution: there are private schools that have the word 'grammar' in their name but this is purely for historical reasons.
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