Best primary schools in Dorset (2026)

Dorset has 125 ranked primary schools with published results. The top-ranked is St. Walburga's Catholic Primary School, in the top 1% in England. The average reading, writing & maths here in 2025 was 59%, against 62% for England. 6 are in England's top 10%, and 2 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Filter and sort these schools → Find an area to live near them

Rank	School	Reading, writing & maths (2023–2025 average)	Reading, writing & maths 2025	Higher standard	Ofsted
1 Top 1% in England	St. Walburga's Catholic Primary School Bournemouth · Roman Catholic	93%	98%	45%	Good
2 Top 2% in England	Winton Primary School Bournemouth	89%	88%	29%	No rating
3 Top 6% in England	Spetisbury CofE Primary School Spetisbury · Church of England	84%	77%	15%	No rating
4 Top 6% in England	Trent Young's CofE Primary School Trent · Church of England	84%	95%	9%	No rating
5 Top 6% in England	Mudeford Junior School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)	82%	82%	15%	Good
6 Top 8% in England	Avonwood Primary School Bournemouth	80%	84%	24%	Outstanding
7 Top 11% in England	St Katharine's Church of England Primary School Bournemouth · Church of England	78%	78%	11%	Outstanding
8 Top 12% in England	Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School Bournemouth · Roman Catholic	77%	67%	18%	No rating
9 Top 14% in England	Moordown St John's Church of England Primary School Bournemouth · Church of England	77%	85%	12%	No rating
10 Top 16% in England	St Mark's Church of England Primary School Poole · Church of England	72%	63%	7%	Good
11 Top 17% in England	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) · Roman Catholic	75%	74%	15%	No rating
12 Top 17% in England	Twynham Primary School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)	75%	82%	18%	No rating
13 Top 18% in England	Ocean Academy Poole Poole	73%	68%	14%	No rating
14 Top 22% in England	Muscliff Primary School Bournemouth	71%	70%	13%	Good
15 Top 23% in England	Christchurch Junior School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)	72%	70%	11%	No rating
16 Top 23% in England	Canford Heath Junior School Poole	72%	71%	10%	No rating
17 Top 24% in England	Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School Poole · Church of England	70%	73%	14%	No rating
18 Top 24% in England	Queen's Park Academy Bournemouth	72%	75%	12%	Not judged
19 Top 25% in England	Stourfield Junior School Bournemouth	70%	73%	18%	No rating
20 Top 27% in England	St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers Langton Matravers · Church of England	67%	67%	17%	Good
21 Top 29% in England	Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Mosterton · Church of England	71%	71%	14%	No rating
22 Top 30% in England	Lytchett Matravers Primary School Lytchett Matravers	70%	68%	11%	Good
23 Top 31% in England	Wyke Primary School Gillingham (Dorset)	71%	71%	6%	Requires improvement
24 Top 31% in England	Thornford CofE Primary School Thornford · Church of England	66%	53%	7%	Not judged
25 Top 31% in England	Haymoor Junior School Poole	68%	64%	12%	No rating
26 Top 32% in England	St James' Church of England Primary Academy Bournemouth · Church of England	68%	68%	17%	No rating
27 Top 32% in England	Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum · Church of England	67%	67%	7%	No rating
28 Top 33% in England	Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney Litton Cheney · Church of England	72%	73%	7%	Not judged
29 Top 33% in England	The Epiphany School Bournemouth · Church of England	69%	77%	8%	No rating
30 Top 34% in England	Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery Weymouth · Church of England	70%	72%	2%	Good
31 Top 34% in England	Stoborough Church of England Primary School Stoborough · Church of England	56%	56%	33%	No rating
32 Top 34% in England	Stalbridge Church of England Primary School Stalbridge · Church of England	67%	65%	10%	No rating
33 Top 34% in England	Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Dorset · Church of England	69%	71%	6%	Report card
34 Top 36% in England	Durweston Church of England Primary School Durweston · Church of England	72%	80%	0%	Report card
35 Top 36% in England	St Michael's Church of England Primary School Bournemouth · Church of England	65%	67%	16%	Not judged
36 Top 37% in England	Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum · Church of England	66%	64%	9%	No rating
37 Top 37% in England	The Priory Church of England Primary School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) · Church of England	67%	62%	3%	Report card
38 Top 38% in England	Pokesdown Community Primary School Bournemouth	64%	58%	15%	Good
39 Top 39% in England	St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull Dorset · Roman Catholic	65%	67%	0%	Good
40 Top 40% in England	Talbot Primary School Poole	65%	64%	9%	No rating
41 Top 41% in England	Elm Academy Bournemouth	65%	77%	15%	Not judged
42 Top 43% in England	St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage Swanage · Roman Catholic	67%	65%	0%	Good
43 Top 44% in England	Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Pimperne · Church of England	63%	63%	11%	No rating
44 Top 44% in England	St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Gillingham (Dorset) · Church of England	63%	59%	14%	No rating
45 Top 48% in England	Charmouth Primary School Charmouth	66%	67%	7%	Requires improvement
46 Top 48% in England	The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury Shaftesbury · Church of England	64%	62%	5%	No rating
47 Top 49% in England	Bishop Aldhelm's Church of England Primary School Poole · Church of England	62%	66%	9%	Report card
48 Bottom 50% in England	Longfleet Church of England Primary School Poole · Church of England	61%	60%	10%	No rating
49 Bottom 50% in England	Hazelbury Bryan Primary School Dorset	62%	61%	11%	Good
50 Bottom 50% in England	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Poole Poole · Roman Catholic	61%	64%	7%	Good
51 Bottom 49% in England	St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Poole Poole · Roman Catholic	61%	58%	11%	No rating
52 Bottom 45% in England	Hill View Primary Academy Bournemouth	61%	54%	2%	No rating
53 Bottom 44% in England	Jewell Academy Bournemouth Bournemouth	59%	57%	9%	Not judged
54 Bottom 44% in England	Conifers Primary School Weymouth	60%	69%	4%	Good
55 Bottom 44% in England	Hillbourne Primary School Poole	62%	70%	3%	Not judged
56 Bottom 43% in England	Bridport Primary School Bridport	57%	50%	14%	Good
57 Bottom 41% in England	Bovington Academy Wool	60%	71%	7%	Good
58 Bottom 41% in England	Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Dorset · Church of England	57%	67%	17%	Not judged
59 Bottom 40% in England	Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School Weymouth · Church of England	59%	61%	10%	Requires improvement
60 Bottom 40% in England	King's Park Academy Bournemouth	57%	56%	11%	No rating
61 Bottom 39% in England	Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Maiden Newton · Church of England	59%	63%	0%	Good
62 Bottom 37% in England	St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School Weymouth · Church of England	59%	67%	10%	Not judged
63 Bottom 35% in England	Oakdale Junior School Poole	56%	54%	14%	Not judged
64 Bottom 35% in England	Milldown CofE Academy Blandford Forum · Church of England	58%	48%	3%	Good
65 Bottom 35% in England	Highcliffe St Mark Primary School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) · Church of England	57%	58%	7%	Requires improvement
66 Bottom 35% in England	Kingsleigh Primary School Bournemouth	57%	58%	12%	Not judged
67 Bottom 34% in England	Malmesbury Park Primary School Bournemouth	56%	51%	2%	Good
68 Bottom 34% in England	Kinson Academy Bournemouth	56%	65%	10%	Good
69 Bottom 34% in England	Heatherlands Primary School Poole	58%	58%	6%	No rating
70 Bottom 33% in England	Radipole Primary School Weymouth	55%	60%	6%	No rating
71 Bottom 32% in England	Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School Weymouth · Church of England	55%	65%	5%	Good
72 Bottom 32% in England	Hamworthy Park Junior School Poole	58%	50%	4%	Not judged
73 Bottom 30% in England	Bearwood Primary and Nursery School Bearwood	56%	46%	4%	Good
74 Bottom 30% in England	Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Dorset · Church of England	55%	53%	11%	Not judged
75 Bottom 30% in England	Burton Church of England Primary School Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) · Church of England	56%	53%	4%	Report card
76 Bottom 29% in England	Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School Burton Bradstock · Church of England	51%	64%	18%	No rating
77 Bottom 28% in England	Dunbury Church of England Academy Dorset · Church of England	50%	45%	9%	No rating
78 Bottom 27% in England	St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas Bradford Abbas · Church of England	51%	44%	0%	Report card
79 Bottom 27% in England	Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Broadwindsor · Church of England	54%	60%	0%	Requires improvement
80 Bottom 26% in England	William Barnes Primary School Sturminster Newton	53%	55%	10%	No rating
81 Bottom 26% in England	St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis Lyme Regis · Church of England	53%	53%	6%	Requires improvement
82 Bottom 25% in England	St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth Weymouth · Roman Catholic	52%	45%	0%	Good
83 Bottom 24% in England	St George's Foundation Primary School Weston (Dorset)	52%	46%	4%	Report card
84 Bottom 24% in England	Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School Bridport · Church of England	53%	52%	8%	Good
85 Bottom 24% in England	Chickerell Primary Academy Chickerell	53%	52%	2%	No rating
86 Bottom 24% in England	Beaminster St Mary's Academy Beaminster · Church of England	54%	75%	0%	Good
87 Bottom 24% in England	Manorside Academy Poole	51%	58%	16%	Not judged
88 Bottom 24% in England	Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School Corfe Castle · Church of England	50%	57%	14%	Good
89 Bottom 23% in England	Motcombe CofE Primary School Motcombe · Church of England	50%	68%	14%	Good
90 Bottom 22% in England	Upton Junior School Upton (Dorset)	53%	47%	2%	Good
91 Bottom 22% in England	Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Dorset · Church of England	52%	60%	10%	Good
92 Bottom 21% in England	Southill Primary School Weymouth	51%	42%	3%	Good
93 Bottom 21% in England	Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School Sherborne · Church of England	49%	48%	8%	Report card
94 Bottom 21% in England	Sherborne Primary School Sherborne	50%	47%	6%	Report card
95 Bottom 20% in England	Bincombe Valley Primary School Weymouth	51%	53%	9%	Report card
96 Bottom 20% in England	Livingstone Road Junior School Poole	52%	52%	2%	Report card
97 Bottom 20% in England	St George's Church of England School, Bourton Bourton (Dorset) · Church of England	53%	53%	0%	Not judged
98 Bottom 20% in England	Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Wiltshire · Church of England	48%	45%	0%	No rating
99 Bottom 18% in England	Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Shillingstone · Church of England	48%	67%	13%	Good
100 Bottom 18% in England	Bere Regis Primary and Preschool Dorset	49%	45%	0%	Not judged

Showing the top 100 of 125. See all 125 and filter them.

Best primary school in each town

Bournemouth · best: St. Walburga's Catholic Primary School
Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) · best: Mudeford Junior School
Poole · best: St Mark's Church of England Primary School
Gillingham (Dorset) · best: Wyke Primary School
Blandford Forum · best: Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Weymouth · best: Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery
Swanage · best: St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage
Bridport · best: Bridport Primary School
Wool · best: Bovington Academy

Also see

Questions

What is the best primary school in Dorset?

On exam results over the last three years, St. Walburga's Catholic Primary School is the top-ranked primary school in Dorset, in the top 1% of schools in England.

How are the schools ranked?

By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.