Dorset has 17 special schools with a published Ofsted grade. At their latest inspection 4 were outstanding or exceptional and 88% good or better, against 90% of special schools across England. The most recent was inspected on 24 Feb 2026. Source: Ofsted inspection reports (Open Government Licence v3).
- 4 outstanding or exceptional
- 11 good, strong or expected
- 2 requires improvement or needs attention
- 0 inadequate or urgent improvement
| Special schools | Latest grade | Inspected | Postcode area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arbour House School | Outstanding | 26 Jun 2025 | DT4 |
| Sheiling School | Outstanding | 22 Jan 2026 | BH24 |
| Westfield Arts College | Outstanding | 29 Nov 2016 | DT3 |
| Yewstock School | Outstanding | 10 Jan 2017 | DT10 |
| Aurora Beeches School | Good | 25 Jan 2024 | BH21 |
| Aurora Boveridge College | Good | 13 Oct 2022 | BH21 |
| Beaucroft Foundation School | Good | 22 Nov 2023 | BH21 |
| Graduately Developing Futures | Good | 26 Jun 2025 | BH16 |
| Harbour School Dorset | Good | 11 Oct 2023 | BH20 |
| Kingfisher School | Expected | 24 Feb 2026 | DT4 |
| Mountjoy School | Good | 16 Nov 2022 | DT8 |
| Sheiling College | Good | 3 Dec 2014 | BH24 |
| Sheiling School | Good | 14 Nov 2024 | BH24 |
| The Luccombe Hub | Good | 23 Mar 2023 | DT11 |
| Wyvern Academy | Good | 18 Jun 2019 | DT3 |
| Employ My Ability (EMA) Ltd | Requires improvement | 21 Sept 2023 | DT2 |
| The Forum School | Requires improvement | 24 Oct 2024 | DT11 |