The Gryphon School

About The Gryphon School

The Gryphon School’s Progress 8 score of -0.06 sits just above the Dorset local authority average of -0.09 for secondary schools, placing it in the middle of the pack rather than at either extreme. That small positive gap means pupils here are making very slightly more academic progress than the typical student across the county, though the difference is marginal. Within Dorset’s 30 secondary schools, Gryphon ranks 9th by this measure, putting it comfortably in the top third of the LA. The school’s attainment 8 score of 48.1 and EBacc average point score of 4.25 both reflect solid, if not spectacular, performance. Where Gryphon really stands out is at sixth form: its value-added score of 0.22 is rated ‘above average’, and students average a B- grade across their best three A-levels, with 22.5 per cent achieving at least AAB. That sixth-form strength is a clear differentiator from many other Dorset secondaries.

At Key Stage 4, the picture is more mixed. The school’s Progress 8 banding is officially ‘average’, but the breakdown shows some subjects pulling in opposite directions. Progress in open subjects (0.05) and the EBacc slot (-0.01) is close to the national average, while maths (-0.25) and English (-0.13) lag behind. The basics measure — pupils achieving grade 5 or above in both English and maths — stands at 46.4 per cent, which is reasonable but not outstanding. Ofsted’s most recent graded inspection in 2014 rated the school Good overall, with Good for leadership and management, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it ‘remains Good’. That’s a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2010, but the school has held steady at Good for nearly a decade. The EBacc entry rate of 33.9 per cent is modest, and only 18.4 per cent of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above.

The Gryphon is a Church of England secondary with a large roll of 1,555 pupils, oversubscribed by 1.53 applications per place. In 2025/26, it received 354 total applications for 232 places, with 230 of those going to first-preference families. Facilities include a sixth form centre, chapel, astro turf, tennis courts, and music rooms, and the sports programme covers rowing, swimming, rugby, and cricket among others. The school offers a wide range of clubs from DofE and Young Enterprise to gardening and eco club. SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, inclusive, faith-based secondary with a strong sixth form and a solid but not exceptional record at GCSE. Its oversubscription suggests it is well-regarded locally, and the above-average sixth-form value added makes it a particularly good fit for students planning to stay on post-16.

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