Why We Are Different

At The Blandford School, your journey begins the moment you step through our doors and continues long after you leave.

Right now, our students are thriving as they develop essential skills and values—respect, effort, attitude, and perseverance—that will shape their futures. Whether it’s aiming for top universities like Cambridge and Oxford, pursuing careers that save lives as paramedics or midwives, designing remarkable buildings as architects, or exploring creativity through graphic design, our students are building bright and diverse futures. Here, there is no single path to success—it’s about discovering and carving out your own unique journey.

Join us today and let us help you realise your potential!

About Us

The Blandford School is a successful 11-18 secondary school and sixth form with approximately 1,133 students on roll which was graded good in all areas by Ofsted in 2024. The majority of students join us in Year 7 and a high proportion remain with us through to the end of Year 13. Our positive reputation means we also have students from outside the area as well as young people previously educated in the private sector.

Our school values (REAP) stand for Respect, Effort, Attitude, and Perseverance, and every day our students embody these as they learn inside and outside the classroom as well as in social times, meeting visitors and members of the community. We encourage students of all abilities to be ambitious, challenge themselves, show resilience, and be polite and well-mannered.

Our school site and grounds have seen major investment over the years, and it is a daily pleasure to see students enjoying the facilities and surroundings.

Student success is measured in various ways, including outstanding performance in public examinations. Our post-16 results have been exceptional, placing us in the top 1% of schools nationally over the past three years, as judged by ALPS. Year after year, our students achieve good outcomes.

Our destination data is above the national average, including in Year 13 where sixth form students’ progress into a variety of different fields. Level 2 students develop key skills and the necessary qualifications to access Level 3 courses with us, at college, or undertake apprenticeships. Year 13 students apply to a range of universities. In 2024, our students have secured places at a wide range of prestigious universities, pursuing diverse and exciting courses across various fields. Destinations include Trinity College Oxford for Chemistry, University of Plymouth for Criminology and Psychology, University of Portsmouth for Business and Management, and University of Surrey for Veterinary bioscience. Students have also ventured into unique disciplines such as Fashion Marketing at the University of the Arts, London, and Radiography (Radiotherapy and Oncology) at Health Sciences University (AECC). Other students are taking on courses in Zoology, Psychology with Professional Placement, Biomedical Science, and Fine Art Painting at University of Brighton. Additionally, several students have chosen to pursue apprenticeships and other practical routes, including a Nursing (Mental Health) degree at Cardiff University and Pharmacy at University College London.

The opportunity to educate children brings with it huge responsibility to provide the best all-round education possible as we aim to prepare young people for happiness and success in their adult lives. This is a responsibility myself and the team at The Blandford School take very seriously. We care immensely for each individual child and pride ourselves on a community in which students feel valued.

School days should be fun and enjoyable. We see it as our responsibility to expand children’s interests and nurture their personal qualities. Naturally, you would expect us to set high expectations—and we do. Achieving this relies on a strong, positive partnership and the unwavering support of parents and carers.

Please make an appointment to visit us during the working day; there is nothing better than seeing a school in action! Let us show you the calm and purposeful atmosphere, talk to our current students about their experiences, and see for yourself the incredibly positive learning environment there is, day in and day out.

Sally Wilson

Headteacher