1
St Ives Primary & Nursery School
Primary • Academy converter • Ringwood • Hampshire • BH24 2LE
Outstanding
Top 10 Primary schools in Dorset
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2022)
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This Top 10 showcases primary schools in the local authority of Dorset. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total primary schools
119
Outstanding
7
Good
87
Median inspection year
2022
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 6% · G: 77% · RI: 15% · I: 2%
2
Rushcombe First School
Primary • Community school • Wimborne • Dorset • BH21 3PX
Outstanding
3
St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School
Primary • Academy converter • Weymouth • Dorset • DT3 5DQ
Outstanding
4
Trinity Church of England First School
Primary • Academy converter • Verwood • Dorset • BH31 7PG
Outstanding
5
St James Church of England First School
Primary • Academy converter • Wimborne • Dorset • BH21 4JN
Outstanding
6
Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School
Primary • Academy converter • Wimborne • Dorset • BH21 7LX
Outstanding
7
St George's Church of England School, Bourton
Primary • Academy converter • Gillingham • Dorset • SP8 5BN
Outstanding
8
Wimborne First School and Nursery
Primary • Academy converter • Wimborne • Dorset • BH21 4FW
Good
9
Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Primary • Academy converter • Bridport • Dorset • DT6 5LA
Good
10
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School
Primary • Voluntary controlled school • Dorchester • Dorset • DT2 0AX
Good
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 primary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
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Also highly rated nearby
- St John's Church of England Primary School Good • May 2024
- Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery Good • May 2024
-
🔒 8 more near-miss schoolsUnlock
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