Dorset Studio School

School overview

Dorset Studio School is a secondary school serving Dorchester, Dorset, classified by the DfE as a studio school. It has 325 pupils aged 11 to 16 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Dorset Studio School 'Good'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 34.1 — well below the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has risen by 5.0 points year on year, though small year groups can make these figures swing sharply from year to year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of secondary schools nationally.

14% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well below the national average of about 45%. 41% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Dorset Studio School their first choice was offered one of its 51 Year 7 places. After Year 11, 88% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 12.8%. There are about 11.8 pupils per teacher. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.