Best 3 Secondary schools in Dorset – comparison
Comparison of secondary schools: The Thomas Hardye School (Secondary) in Dorchester; The Blandford School (Secondary) in Blandford Forum; Dorset Studio School (Secondary) in Dorchester — covering Ofsted outcomes, size, FSM%, governance, capacity & more.
At a glance
This page compares The Thomas Hardye School, The Blandford School and Dorset Studio School. They are secondary phase and academy converter, voluntary controlled school and studio schools type located around Dorchester, Dorset and Blandford Forum, Dorset. The strongest headline Ofsted judgement here is 1 (The Thomas Hardye School), published Apr 2015. The lowest is 2 (The Blandford School), published May 2024. The most recent inspection on record is for The Blandford School (May 2024). average roll around ≈ 1,150, combined total ≈ 3,500, typical FSM 20–25%, range 15–20%–30–35%; all within the WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST trust.
| Attribute |
The Thomas Hardye School
DT1 2ET
|
The Blandford School
DT11 7SQ
|
Dorset Studio School
DT2 8PX
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase / Type | Secondary • Academy converter | Secondary • Voluntary controlled school | Secondary • Studio schools |
| Location |
Dorchester Dorset DT1 2ET |
Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 7SQ |
Dorchester Dorset DT2 8PX |
| Latest Ofsted | 1 20 Apr 2015 | 2 21 May 2024 | 2 15 May 2024 |
| Ofsted report | — | — | — |
| Pupils (roll) | ≈ 2,050 🔒 Unlock exact pupils | ≈ 1,150 🔒 Unlock exact pupils | ≈ 350 🔒 Unlock exact pupils |
| FSM % | 15–20% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % | 20–25% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % | 30–35% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % |
| Capacity | 2138 | 1557 | 375 |
| Capacity utilisation | Near capacity 🔒 View exact % | Under capacity 🔒 View exact % | Under capacity 🔒 View exact % |
| Age range | — | — | — |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective | Non-selective | |
| Trust / Local authority | WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST | Dorset (838) | Dorset (838) |
| Website | www.thomas-hardye.net | www.blandfordschool.org.uk | dorsetstudioschool.co.uk |
| Telephone | 01305266064 | 01258451121 | 01305443600 |
| SEN provision | None reported | None reported | None reported |
| Profile | View profile | View profile | View profile |
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Academy converter
- Location
- Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2ET - Ofsted
- 1 20 Apr 2015
- Pupils
- ≈ 2,050 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 15–20% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Website
- www.thomas-hardye.net
- Telephone
- 01305266064
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Voluntary controlled school
- Location
- Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 7SQ - Ofsted
- 2 21 May 2024
- Pupils
- ≈ 1,150 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 20–25% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- Dorset (838)
- Website
- www.blandfordschool.org.uk
- Telephone
- 01258451121
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Studio schools
- Location
- Dorchester
Dorset
DT2 8PX - Ofsted
- 2 15 May 2024
- Pupils
- ≈ 350 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 30–35% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- Dorset (838)
- Website
- dorsetstudioschool.co.uk
- Telephone
- 01305443600
For parents & carers
Export this comparison & share it at home
Keep your shortlist organised with one-click exports to PDF and Excel — plus ad-free browsing and deeper filters.
Families often subscribe for a short research period, export what they need, then cancel once they’re confident.
- Printable PDF — great for family discussions and open-day planning.
- Excel export — add your own notes, rank schools and keep a shortlist.
- Profile exports — save individual school pages to PDF/Excel when you’re comparing many options.
- Deeper filters — narrow down realistic options faster (area, type, phase, trust and more).
What you get immediately
After joining, you unlock all Pro features — including exporting this exact comparison plus any other comparisons and school profiles you view (PDF & Excel).
🔒 Secure Stripe payments · Cancel anytime · No impact on admissions outcomes