Classpot

Dorchester Middle School

Dorset, DT1 2HSSecondaryAges 9–13MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Jun 2023
Progress 8
No data
Competition
N/A
No data
Ranking
Not ranked

About Dorchester Middle School

Dorchester Middle School sits below the Dorset local authority average for Progress 8, which stands at -0. 09. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in June 2023, rated its overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a rating it also held in its previous inspection in 2019. This places it among the majority of secondary schools in Dorset, where only one of the 30 schools of the same type is rated Outstanding. The school’s leadership and management, quality of education, and behaviour and attitudes were all judged to require improvement, though personal development was rated Good. With 543 pupils on roll against a capacity of 600, the school is not oversubscribed, and 23. 6 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. The school serves the 9–13 age range, meaning it is a middle school rather than a traditional secondary, which may be a factor for families considering the transition points in Dorset’s three-tier system.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range9 to 13 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressQueen's Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2HS
HeadteacherJonathan Webb
Local AuthorityDorset
Number of Pupils543
Free School Meals (FSM)23.6%
School Capacity543 / 600 (91% full)

The full report on this school

What 86 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

13 Jun 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement

Source: Ofsted, 1 Aug 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionLearning DifficultyResourced ProvisionOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Dorchester Middle School

Dorchester Middle School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.