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Best primary schools in Dorset

79 of 120 primary schools ranked by Met expected standard (RWM) · all Dorset schools · secondary schools

Ranked on Met expected standard (RWM), 2024/25 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school. We hold real catchment boundaries for 105 of them.

# School Met expected standard (RWM) Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Trent Young's CofE Primary School Sherborne 95.0% Good oversubscribed 1.25 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
2 St Ives Primary & Nursery School Ringwood 90.0% Outstanding about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
3 Durweston Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum 80.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
4 St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Shaftesbury 80.0% Not judged about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Spetisbury CofE Primary School Blandford Forum 77.0% Good about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
6 Beaminster St Mary's Academy Beaminster 75.0% Good improving about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
7 Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney Dorchester 73.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
8 Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery Weymouth 72.0% Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
9 Bovington Academy Wareham 71.0% Good about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
10 Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Dorchester 71.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
11 Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Beaminster 71.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
12 Wyke Primary School Gillingham 71.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Conifers Primary School Weymouth 69.0% Good about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
14 Lytchett Matravers Primary School Poole 68.0% Good about even 1.08 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
15 Motcombe CofE Primary School Shaftesbury 68.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
16 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum 67.0% Good improving about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
17 Charmouth Primary School Bridport 67.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
18 Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum hidden gem 67.0% Good undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
19 St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers Swanage 67.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
20 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull Sturminster Newton 67.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
21 St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School Weymouth 67.0% Not judged oversubscribed 1.27 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
22 Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Bridport 67.0% Not judged about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
23 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage Swanage 65.0% Good improving about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
24 Stalbridge Church of England Primary School Stalbridge 65.0% Good declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
25 Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School Weymouth 65.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2025/26 mapped
26 Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum 64.0% Good about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
27 Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School Bridport 64.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
28 Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Dorchester 63.0% Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
29 Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Blandford Forum hidden gem 63.0% Good undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
30 The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury Shaftesbury 62.0% Good about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
31 Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School Weymouth 61.0% Requires improvement about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
32 Hazelbury Bryan Primary School Sturminster Newton 61.0% Good about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
33 Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Beaminster 60.0% Requires improvement declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
34 Radipole Primary School Weymouth 60.0% Good declining oversubscribed 1.17 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
35 Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Bridport 60.0% Good declining about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
36 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Gillingham 59.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
37 Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School Wareham 57.0% Good improving about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
38 St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Weymouth hidden gem 56.0% Good undersubscribed 0.71 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
39 Stoborough Church of England Primary School Wareham 56.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
40 William Barnes Primary School Sturminster Newton 55.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
41 Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Wareham 54.0% Good declining about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
42 Bincombe Valley Primary School Weymouth 53.0% Good about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
43 St George's Church of England School, Bourton Gillingham 53.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
44 St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis Lyme Regis 53.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
45 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Dorchester 53.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
46 Thornford CofE Primary School Sherborne 53.0% Not judged about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
47 Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School Bridport 52.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
48 Chickerell Primary Academy Weymouth hidden gem 52.0% Good improving undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
49 Bridport Primary School Bridport 50.0% Good improving about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
50 Gillingham Primary School Gillingham 50.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
51 Loders CofE Primary Academy Bridport 50.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
52 Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Bridport 50.0% Requires improvement declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
53 St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull Sturminster Newton 50.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
54 Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School Wareham 50.0% Good improving about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
55 Milldown CofE Academy Blandford Forum 48.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
56 Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School Sherborne 48.0% Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
57 Sherborne Primary School Sherborne 47.0% Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
58 Swanage Primary School Swanage 47.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
59 Upton Junior School Poole 47.0% Good — mapped
60 St George's Foundation Primary School Portland 46.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
61 St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Wareham 46.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
62 Wool Church of England Primary School Wareham 46.0% Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
63 Bere Regis Primary and Preschool Wareham 45.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
64 Dunbury Church of England Academy Winterborne Whitechurch 45.0% Good about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
65 St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth Weymouth 45.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
66 Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School Shaftesbury 44.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
67 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas Sherborne 44.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
68 St John's Church of England Primary School Weymouth 43.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
69 St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford Blandford Forum 43.0% Good about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
70 Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School Swanage 43.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
71 Downlands Community School Blandford Forum 42.0% Requires improvement about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
72 Southill Primary School Weymouth 42.0% Good declining about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
73 Stower Provost Community School Gillingham 40.0% Not judged declining about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
74 Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School Gillingham 39.0% Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
75 Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School Wareham 38.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
76 Marshwood CofE Primary Academy Bridport 38.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
77 Portesham Church of England Primary School Weymouth 38.0% Not judged about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
78 St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Sherborne 31.0% Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
79 St Catherine's Roman Catholic School Bridport 30.0% Requires improvement about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Dorset

41 further primary schools with no published Met expected standard (RWM) for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Dorset, not a fairer one.

Applying in Dorset

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