The Purbeck School
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Wareham, Dorset
Last distance offered · Year 7 2024
Every applicant was offered a place
From Dorset Council · offers on 1 March 2024
2017–2019 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
The Purbeck School is a secondary school in Wareham, Dorset for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Improved significantly, from the inspection on 30 April 2025. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2017 to 2024 entry.
The Purbeck 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 2024 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2019 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2017 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Every Year 7 applicant was offered a place in 2024, but places ran out in 1 of the 2 earlier years with a published outcome.
- For Year 7 in 2026 there were 156 first-choice applications for 160 offers, 1.0 first choices per offer, the 3rd lowest of 13 Dorset secondary schools.
- 2024/25: 37% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), the 3rd lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Dorset.
- At A level in 2024/25 the average grade was C (England B-), and progress from GCSE to A level was below average.
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
- Worgret Road, Wareham, BH20 4PF
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 1,022 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 21.4% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Improved significantly Inspected 30 April 2025
Strengths
- “The culture of the school is one of personal care and ambition for all.”
- “The value of ‘kindness’ underpins the work of the school to sustain high standards.”
- “The school has the highest expectations for the personal development and academic achievement of pupils.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 9 June 2025 (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) | 37% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 41.9 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C | B- |
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: 156 first-preference applications, 160 offers in total, 156 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.
- Lytchett Minster School 4.9 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- The Swanage School 7.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Queen Elizabeth's School 10.0 mi Requires improvement
- The Blandford School 12.5 mi Good Last distance published
- Dorset Studio School 12.6 mi Good Last distance published
- Ferndown Upper School 12.9 mi No Ofsted grade
- The Thomas Hardye School 14.6 mi Not judged
- Wey Valley Academy 15.4 mi Good Last distance published