Dorchester Middle School Catchment Area
Dorchester Middle School is an academy converter middle deemed secondary school in Dorchester, Dorset , serving pupils aged 9-13, with 543 pupils, and a capacity of 600 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
9-13
Age range
543
Pupils
600
Capacity
91%
Fill rate
Requires improvement
Ofsted 2023
Dorchester Middle School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Dorchester Middle School?
The catchment area for Dorchester Middle School is the geographic zone Dorset uses to prioritise admissions when this middle deemed secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Dorset publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
As an academy, Dorchester Middle School sets its own admissions criteria, agreed with Dorset. The catchment area boundary is defined in the school's annual admissions policy, which may differ from the LA's general school admissions arrangements.
Get an alert if Dorchester Middle School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Dorset before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Dorset catchment area documents →Dorchester Middle School: 600 places, 91% filled: nearing capacity
Dorchester Middle School has a published admission number of 600 places. 543 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 91%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 600, Dorset's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 23.6% of pupils at Dorchester Middle School are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Dorset.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Dorset publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Dorset Council school admissions (official) →
Dorchester Middle School: School Information
- Full address
- Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2HS
- Local authority
- Dorset
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Middle deemed secondary
- Age range
- 9-13 years
- Free school meals
- 23.6% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 138186
Other Middle deemed secondary Schools in Dorchester
If Dorchester Middle School is oversubscribed, these middle deemed secondary schools in Dorchester are the next closest alternatives.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Dorchester Middle School
What is the catchment area for Dorchester Middle School? ▾
The catchment area for Dorchester Middle School is the geographic zone Dorset uses to prioritise admissions when this middle deemed secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Dorset publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Dorchester Middle School oversubscribed? ▾
Dorchester Middle School is operating close to its capacity of 600 places (91% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Dorchester Middle School? ▾
Admission to Dorchester Middle School is managed by Dorset. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does Dorchester Middle School cover? ▾
Dorchester Middle School is a middle deemed secondary school in Dorchester, Dorset, serving pupils aged 9-13. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for Dorchester Middle School? ▾
Dorchester Middle School was rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in 2023. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.