The Thomas Hardye SchoolDorset Studio School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Dorchester.
Summary of the comparison
The Thomas Hardye School and Dorset Studio School are secondary schools in Dorchester.
The Thomas Hardye School scores 61 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Dorset Studio School scores 45 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Thomas Hardye School is ahead on our composite score.
The Thomas Hardye School was judged the expected standard and Dorset Studio School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 49.8 for The Thomas Hardye School and 34.1 for Dorset Studio School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at The Thomas Hardye School (51.5 in 2021-22, 49.8 in 2024-25) and has risen at Dorset Studio School (30.5 in 2021-22, 34.1 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | DorchesterThe Thomas Hardye School | DorchesterDorset Studio School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C61/100Stronger figure | D45/100 | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 29 in Dorset Stronger figure | 23rd of 29 in Dorset | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Studio schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 13-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 2,051 | 325 | |
| Capacity | 2,138 | 375 | |
| Location | Dorchester, DT1 2ET | Dorchester, DT2 8PX | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 49.8 Stronger figure | 34.1 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 49.9% Stronger figure | 14.5% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 71.1% Stronger figure | 40.6% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 58.1% Stronger figure | 0.0% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.48 Stronger figure | 2.75 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 439 | 69 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 338 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 34.7 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 34.6 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 15.2% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 2,051 | 325 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 19.2% | 32.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 6.1% | 0.0% | |
| SEN support | 18.3% | 40.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.8% | 11.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 11.2% Stronger figure | 12.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 33.0% Stronger figure | 42.4% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
The Thomas Hardye School
Dorset Studio School
Full profiles: The Thomas Hardye School · Dorset Studio School