Located in Dorchester, Dorchester Middle School is a middle deemed secondary school, serving pupils aged 9 to 13. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Dorchester Middle School currently has around 543 pupils on roll, which is about 91% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 50.3% boys and 49.7% girls. Around 23.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9%. Persistent absence is recorded at 25.3%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 3 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (77.3%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement. This means the school has areas that require improvement. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2HS |
| Website: | http://www.dorchestermid.dorset.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01305265651 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Middle deemed secondary |
| Local authority: | Dorset |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Headteacher Jonathan Webb |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 138186 |
Ofsted inspection date: 13/06/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 9 - 13 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 600 |
| Number of Pupils: | 543 |
| Number of Boys: | 273 |
| Number of Girls: | 270 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 25.3% | 8.2% |
| White British | 77.30% | 420 |
| Indian | 7.60% | 41 |
| Other White | 3.50% | 19 |
| Other Asian | 2.00% | 11 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.70% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 1.70% | 9 |
| African | 1.50% | 8 |
| Other Mixed | 0.90% | 5 |
| Unclassified | 0.70% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.70% | 4 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.60% | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.40% | 2 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.40% | 2 |
| White and Black African | 0.40% | 2 |
| Pakistani | 0.40% | 2 |
| Chinese | 0.20% | 1 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.20% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Prince of Wales School Maiden Castle Road , DT1 2HH | - not rated | 635 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Damers First School Liscombe Street , Poundbury DT1 3DF | 3out of 4 | 1,380 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Damers First School Liscombe Street , Poundbury DT1 3DF | - not rated | 1,380 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Manor Park Church of England First School Mellstock Avenue , DT1 2BH | - not rated | 1,466 yd | Voluntary controlled school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Lucetta Lane , DT1 2DD | 3out of 4 | 1,474 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Thomas Hardye School Queen's Avenue , DT1 2ET | - not rated | 398 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Thomas Hardye School Queen's Avenue , DT1 2ET | - not rated | 398 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Castlefield School Queen's Avenue , DT1 2ET | - not rated | 398 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Hardyes School Barnes Way , DT1 2DB | - not rated | 1,300 yd | Voluntary aided school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Middle School Queen's Avenue , DT1 2HS | - not rated | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dorchester Middle School Queen's Avenue , DT1 2HS | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Barnes Way , DT1 2DZ | - not rated | 1,357 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Barnes Way , DT1 2DZ | 3out of 4 | 1,357 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Osmund's Church of England Voluntary Aided Middle School, Dorchester Barnes Way , Rothesay Road DT1 2DZ | - not rated | 1,357 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maiden Castle School Maiden Castle Road , DT1 2HH | - not rated | 635 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Genevieve's Convent School South Court , South Walks DT1 1EB | - not rated | 1,319 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Sunninghill Preparatory School South Court , South Walks Road DT1 1EB | - not rated | 1,319 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Dorchester Preparatory School 25-26 Icen Way , DT1 1EP | - not rated | 1,500 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Penwithen School Winterborne Monkton , DT2 9PS | - not rated | 1,822 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.