Dorset school admissions

For a September 2027 start, secondary applications close on 31 Oct 2026 and primary applications on 15 Jan 2027. Always confirm details on the council's own admissions page.

How to apply

Apply online through the council where you live, naming several schools in order of preference — including schools in other council areas. Every preference is considered equally against each school's admission criteria, and you're offered the highest-ranked school that can offer you a place.

We haven't yet confirmed the council's admissions page link.

GOV.UK: School admissions

Key dates for September 2027

Secondary applications close	31 Oct 2026	School Admissions Code 2021, para 2.24
Primary (reception) applications close	15 Jan 2027	School Admissions Code 2021, para 2.24
Secondary national offer day	1 Mar 2027	1 March or next working day
Primary national offer day	16 Apr 2027	16 April or next working day

Appeals

The council hasn't published a single appeal date we've confirmed. By law you must have at least 20 school days from the date of your refusal letter.

Source: School Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Code (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Applications and offers by school, 2026/27

Catchment areas and admission decisions are made by the school's admissions authority (the local council or, for academies and many faith schools, the school or trust). Distances and past figures don't guarantee a place.

Secondary schools (16)

School	Places offered	All applications	First preferences	First preferences offered	Applications per offer
All Saints' Church of England Academy	93	213	93	93	2.3 per offer
Atlantic Academy Portland	52	66	52	52	1.3 per offer
Beaminster School	120	200	119	119	1.7 per offer
Budmouth Academy Weymouth	235	399	234	234	1.7 per offer
Dorset Studio School	51	99	51	51	1.9 per offer
Gillingham School	265	369	284	261	1.4 per offer
Lytchett Minster School	257	399	253	248	1.6 per offer
Shaftesbury School	108	167	95	95	1.5 per offer
Sturminster Newton High School	93	157	89	89	1.7 per offer
The Blandford School	202	231	199	199	1.1 per offer
The Gryphon School	234	350	265	231	1.5 per offer
The Purbeck School	160	241	156	156	1.5 per offer
The Sir John Colfox Academy	104	150	104	104	1.4 per offer
The Swanage School	62	132	61	61	2.1 per offer
The Woodroffe School	113	225	112	108	2.0 per offer
Wey Valley Academy	182	289	182	182	1.6 per offer

Primary schools (118)

School	Places offered	All applications	First preferences	First preferences offered	Applications per offer
All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School	13	22	13	13	1.7 per offer
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School	40	72	38	38	1.8 per offer
Atlantic Academy Portland	19	44	18	18	2.3 per offer
Beaminster St Mary's Academy	15	29	14	14	1.9 per offer
Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School	14	37	12	12	2.6 per offer
Bere Regis Primary and Preschool	18	22	18	18	1.2 per offer
Bincombe Valley Primary School	27	50	29	25	1.9 per offer
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School	30	82	33	29	2.7 per offer
Bovington Academy	26	30	24	24	1.2 per offer
Bridport Primary School	37	59	37	37	1.6 per offer
Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School	16	43	16	16	2.7 per offer
Broadmayne First School and Nursery	22	31	21	21	1.4 per offer
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School	9	23	9	9	2.6 per offer
Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School	10	19	10	10	1.9 per offer
Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School	5	12	5	5	2.4 per offer
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School	16	27	16	16	1.7 per offer
Charmouth Primary School	6	11	6	6	1.8 per offer
Cheselbourne Village School	7	15	7	7	2.1 per offer
Chickerell Primary Academy	51	75	42	42	1.5 per offer
Colehill First School	30	119	33	25	4.0 per offer
Conifers Primary School	30	74	33	30	2.5 per offer
Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School	15	21	15	15	1.4 per offer
Cranborne Church of England First School	14	29	13	13	2.1 per offer
Damers First School	75	158	68	68	2.1 per offer
Downlands Community School	22	24	21	21	1.1 per offer
Dunbury Church of England Academy	10	15	9	9	1.5 per offer
Durweston Church of England Primary School	15	34	15	15	2.3 per offer
Ferndown First School	89	147	76	76	1.7 per offer
Frome Valley CofE First School	16	20	16	16	1.3 per offer
Gillingham Primary School	25	51	25	25	2.0 per offer
Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School	17	57	14	14	3.4 per offer
Hayeswood First School	30	86	34	29	2.9 per offer
Hazelbury Bryan Primary School	15	33	16	15	2.2 per offer
Henbury View First School	30	136	36	22	4.5 per offer
Hillside Community First School	43	91	40	40	2.1 per offer
Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery	49	93	48	48	1.9 per offer
Loders CofE Primary Academy	8	15	8	8	1.9 per offer
Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School	3	13	3	3	4.3 per offer
Lytchett Matravers Primary School	60	127	65	56	2.1 per offer
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School	16	23	15	15	1.4 per offer
Manor Park Church of England First School	57	114	54	53	2.0 per offer
Marshwood CofE Primary Academy	9	15	9	9	1.7 per offer
Milborne St Andrew First School	6	19	6	6	3.2 per offer
Milldown CofE Academy	19	59	19	19	3.1 per offer
Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School	5	25	5	5	5.0 per offer
Motcombe CofE Primary School	8	38	8	8	4.8 per offer
Oakhurst Community First School	30	59	31	27	2.0 per offer
Pamphill Church of England First School	14	46	14	12	3.3 per offer
Parley First School	58	135	66	56	2.3 per offer
Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	16	24	16	16	1.5 per offer
Piddle Valley Church of England First School	8	21	7	7	2.6 per offer
Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School	19	48	16	16	2.5 per offer
Portesham Church of England Primary School	1	4	1	1	4.0 per offer
Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	2	5	2	2	2.5 per offer
Puddletown Church of England First School	29	47	29	29	1.6 per offer
Radipole Primary School	58	165	68	54	2.8 per offer
Rushcombe First School	60	169	85	51	2.8 per offer
Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	15	40	17	15	2.7 per offer
Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	34	72	31	31	2.1 per offer
Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School	40	58	40	40	1.5 per offer
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School	46	72	43	43	1.6 per offer
Sherborne Primary School	47	78	48	46	1.7 per offer
Shillingstone Church of England Primary School	9	20	7	7	2.2 per offer
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery	12	14	12	12	1.2 per offer
Southill Primary School	29	102	28	25	3.5 per offer
Spetisbury CofE Primary School	30	55	27	26	1.8 per offer
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School	16	26	15	15	1.6 per offer
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School	24	37	17	17	1.5 per offer
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School	14	30	13	13	2.1 per offer
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth	27	53	27	27	2.0 per offer
St Catherine's Roman Catholic School	13	34	13	13	2.6 per offer
St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers	11	27	11	11	2.5 per offer
St George's Church of England School, Bourton	20	35	20	19	1.8 per offer
St George's Foundation Primary School	59	79	59	59	1.3 per offer
St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull	6	15	6	6	2.5 per offer
St Ives Primary & Nursery School	29	73	31	29	2.5 per offer
St James Church of England First School	25	53	25	24	2.1 per offer
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt	22	29	22	22	1.3 per offer
St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne	30	60	18	18	2.0 per offer
St John's Church of England Primary School	28	49	28	28	1.8 per offer
St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School	5	12	5	5	2.4 per offer
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School	26	43	26	26	1.7 per offer
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester	29	88	33	29	3.0 per offer
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull	6	14	6	6	2.3 per offer
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage	27	44	27	27	1.6 per offer
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster	30	57	33	30	1.9 per offer
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas	7	24	7	7	3.4 per offer
St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery	29	75	32	29	2.6 per offer
St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis	2	4	2	2	2.0 per offer
St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School	30	88	38	24	2.9 per offer
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford	21	35	20	20	1.7 per offer
Stalbridge Church of England Primary School	21	31	21	21	1.5 per offer
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	16	24	16	16	1.5 per offer
Stoborough Church of England Primary School	25	45	25	25	1.8 per offer
Stower Provost Community School	12	21	11	11	1.8 per offer
Sturminster Marshall First School	15	14	8	8	0.9 per offer
Swanage Primary School	24	42	24	24	1.8 per offer
Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School	4	26	4	4	6.5 per offer
Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School	14	39	13	13	2.8 per offer
The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury	29	67	28	28	2.3 per offer
The Prince of Wales School	29	136	37	29	4.7 per offer
Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy	3	7	3	3	2.3 per offer
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney	16	22	16	16	1.4 per offer
Thornford CofE Primary School	15	36	17	14	2.4 per offer
Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School	12	23	9	9	1.9 per offer
Trent Young's CofE Primary School	20	38	25	20	1.9 per offer
Trinity Church of England First School	30	81	36	30	2.7 per offer
Upton Infant School	90	131	80	80	1.5 per offer
Verwood Church of England First School	35	90	34	34	2.6 per offer
Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School	21	56	21	21	2.7 per offer
William Barnes Primary School	23	35	23	23	1.5 per offer
Wimborne First School and Nursery	59	152	71	56	2.6 per offer
Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery	12	28	12	12	2.3 per offer
Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School	12	15	11	11	1.3 per offer
Witchampton Church of England First School	12	25	11	11	2.1 per offer
Wool Church of England Primary School	15	37	17	15	2.5 per offer
Wyke Primary School	24	37	24	24	1.5 per offer
Wyke Regis Infant School and Nursery	52	108	50	50	2.1 per offer

Source: DfE secondary and primary school applications and offers (Open Government Licence v3.0).

Dorset term dates · Check schools near a postcode

Questions

When is the Dorset secondary school application deadline?

31 October for a September start, set nationally by the School Admissions Code. Late applications are usually considered only after on-time ones.

How long do I have to appeal?

Admission authorities must give you at least 20 school days from the date of your refusal letter (usually offer day). Many councils publish a specific date — use the council's date where shown.

Does this page tell me my chance of getting a place?

No. Places depend on each school's oversubscription criteria, which change every year. Only the admissions authority decides.