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How to apply for a place at The Purbeck School

If you are considering The Purbeck School for your child and would like to receive correspondence from us, please register your interest here and we will keep you updated with all information and events over the coming year.

How to apply for a place at The Purbeck School in Year 7

The Purbeck School has been oversubscribed for Year 7 places for the past few years, so in order to be guaranteed a place, applying early is crucial.

• You can apply online via www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/starting-secondary-or-upper-school 

 

When to apply

The closing date for secondary and upper school applications is 31 October 2024.

Any application or change made after this date will be classed as late. This means we will not consider it until after the on-time round.

DCC will let you know your outcome:

on 3 March 2025 if you applied on time (by 31 October 2024) 
on 2 April 2025 if you apply late (between 1 November 2024 and 2 March 2025) 
from June onwards if you apply after 2 March 2025

Moving school during the school year (in-year admissions)

Changing your child’s school part way through the year is a big decision. There are some situations where you can’t avoid it, like moving house. If there are other reasons for changing schools, you should:

• discuss the reason you want to change schools with your child’s current school
• and consider the effect of changing schools. Any change could disrupt your child’s education,
• think about whether a new school can offer your child the courses or exams they want to take, particularly during GCSE or A-level courses

You can apply to move schools at any point, but Dorset Council only processes in-year applications half a term before the date you would like to start. If you want an in-year school place to start in September Dorset Council will look at this from June. You can apply online via www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/-/moving-school-during-the-school-year.

You will be informed of your outcome within 10 school days. If you have been refused you can go on the School waiting lists and you can appeal a school place.

Before you apply:

• Read Dorset Council’s parents’ guide for information about the different types of schools, the evidence they require, and information you need to know before applying.
• You must be a Dorset resident to complete the application form. If you do not have a confirmed Dorset address but wish to apply for a Dorset school, please apply through the local authority admissions team in the area where you currently live. This includes if you live within Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP).
• Read our school admissions policy: Admission Policy 2025-26
• For children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, you have to apply for a school place in a different way. Find out what to do if your child has an educational, health, and care (EHC) plan. Check out Dorset’s Local Offer for information on support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
• If you are moving into or within Dorset, make it clear on your application if you’re applying from your current or your new address. You do not need to be living within Dorset to complete an in-year application and if you are moving out of Dorset, you can apply to your new home authority. If you’re moving into or within Dorset and you want your application to be based on your new address you must give us proof of this address.

What to do when you have a school place offer

It is automatically assumed that the school place offered will be accepted so you do not need to contact us to confirm this. If you wish to decline a school place offered, you must let us know via your online account response function and/or by emailing the admissions team with the reason for declining. You can also request to go on the waiting list for any school that you have been refused in the same way. There will be a 2-week response period following the outcome date during which you can respond via your online parent portal account.

Once you have received your offer letter, please complete the ‘New Student Information Form’. Once we have received your completed form, an email will be sent to you to confirm receipt and we will request that you contact your child’s current school to complete the Academic Profile Form. Once we have received both of these forms back, we will start to process the application.

Please read our Parent Information Booklet, which is designed to provide you with the most important information for ease of reference and to acquaint you with our systems before your child arrives at us. There is a separate consent form that includes signing up for the ‘Purbeck Contract’, We would appreciate you spending some time reading through this with your child, and then signing and returning before your child starts. The website is a fantastic source of information, and all this information has been placed under the Information/Transition tab.

Contact the School Admissions Team if you have any queries.

School admissions team

Email: admissions@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Tel: 01305 221060
Fax: 01305228635
Full contact details for the School admissions team

 

The current Pupil Admission Number for The Purbeck School is 180

 

Admissions Documents