The Swanage School
Secondary · Free schools · Ages 11–16 · Swanage, Dorset
Last distance offered · Year 7 2025
Every applicant was offered a place
From Dorset Council · offers on 3 March 2025
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
The Swanage School is a secondary school in Swanage, Dorset for ages 11–16 (free schools). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 7 November 2023. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2025 entry.
The Swanage School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2025 | Every applicant was offered a place |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Of its pupils, 31.5% are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 21.4% across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Dorset.
- Every applicant was offered a Year 7 place in 2025; for 2026 Year 7 entry there were 61 first-choice applications for 62 offers, with every first-choice family offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 20% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), and the Attainment 8 score was 36.9 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Dorset schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- High Street, Swanage, BH19 2PH
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 349 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 31.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 15.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 7 November 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils at The Swanage School belong to a strong community in which staff know them well.”
- “Positive relationships between staff and pupils underpin life at the school.”
- “This means that pupils have positive attitudes towards school and behave well.”
To improve
- “Most subject curriculums are fully developed, although some aspects of curriculum development are in their early stages.”
- “As a result, the support some pupils receive is not precisely matched to their needs.”
- “The school maintains a sharp focus on attendance, but too many pupils are persistently absent.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 14 December 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 20% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 36.9 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 61 first-preference applications, 62 offers in total, 61 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Dorset.
- The Purbeck School 7.8 mi Improved significantly Last distance published
- Lytchett Minster School 9.6 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Queen Elizabeth's School 13.5 mi Requires improvement
- Ferndown Upper School 14.0 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Blandford School 19.1 mi Good Last distance published
- Dorset Studio School 19.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Wey Valley Academy 21.4 mi Good Last distance published
- All Saints' Church of England Academy 21.5 mi Requires improvement Last distance published