Dorset
The Purbeck School
GCSE results 2026: every Dorset school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 49.0 is close to the national average of around 46.
- 49.0
- Attainment 8
- 49%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.60
- Progress 8
- [0.39, 0.81]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 160 | 156 | 156 (100%) | 241 |
| September 2025 | 150 | 145 | 145 (100%) | 246 |
| September 2024 | 172 | 162 | 162 (100%) | 248 |
| September 2023 | 172 | 161 | 161 (100%) | 255 |
| September 2022 | 181 | 170 | 170 (100%) | 274 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Dorset’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 92 | Not published | Not published | 28% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 67 | Not published | Not published | 22% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 67 | 3% England 1% | 13% England 18% | 15% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 69 | 0% England 1% | 12% England 15% | 17% England 17% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 82 | 0% England 1% | 11% England 14% | 20% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Some years were published under this school's previous URN, before it converted or merged.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 165 | 49.0 | — | 48.5% | 9.7% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 164 | 41.9 | — | 36.6% | — | 19.5% | 3.5 |
| 2023/2024 | 173 | 49.9 | +0.60 | 49.7% | — | 22.0% | 4.3 |
| 2022/2023 | 169 | 44.2 | +0.08 | 38.5% | — | 14.2% | 3.7 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Dorset for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 148737 |
| Local authority | Dorset |
| Region | South West |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher Adam Darley |
| Trust | WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | Does not apply |
| Postcode | BH20 4PF |
| Pupils | 1,028 |
| FSM eligible | 22.1% |
Contact and identifiers
Worgret Road, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4PF
http://www.purbeck.wessex.ac1929550077| DfE number | 4024 |
| UKPRN | 10089116 |
| Opened | 1 May 2022 |
| GIAS updated | 24 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 24 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | — |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | — |
| Behaviour and attitudes | — |
| Personal development | — |
| Leadership and management | — |
| Safeguarding | — |
| Inspection type | — |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | — |
| Publication date | — |