Dorset schools have been ranked lowest in the south west with fewer 11-year-olds achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and maths.

The findings from Ofsted’s Education, Children’s Services and Skills annual report found just 57 per cent of pupils in schools in the Dorset County Council (DCC) area met targets – putting the county in last place of the 15 local authority areas in the region.

Ofsted’s south west regional director Bradley Simmons said: “Dorset is an area of real worry for me. 

“The start for six-year-olds is positive, but we’re seeing a drop off and the results for the 11-year-olds are the lowest in the region.”

Across the county, six education providers failed the ‘floor standard’ set down by the Government, including Beechcroft St Pauls CofE VA Primary School in Weymouth and St Michael’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Lyme Regis.

Beechcroft joined the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust in August and, at the time of assessment, just 26 per cent of students reached expected standards in reading, writing and maths.

Mark Lacey, chief executive of the trust, said Beechcroft St Paul’s CE Primary School had recently faced a number of challenges and outcomes had not been as strong as anticipated. 

He added the assessments took place before the school joined the trust, which was now working to turn it around.

“The trust has been working proactively with the headteacher and governors to ensure rapid improvement during the current year, building on the school’s many strengths and its good reputation,” he said.

Despite the county’s poor performance, overall schools in west Dorset performed well. 

The Minerva Learning Trust group of primary schools – Bridport Primary School, Burton Bradstock CE Primary School and St Mary’s CE Primary School – were celebrating excellent results. 

Executive principal Kay Taylor said: “This is only the second year of the new curriculum and our schools have responded to the challenges really well. 

“Results are above or well above the Dorset and national averages in almost all areas.”

West Dorset MP Sir Oliver Letwin said Dorset’s ranking in the tables was disappointing. 

“We mustn’t let it obscure either the huge amount of excellent work that ‎west Dorset schools are doing, or the first-class education that so many of our students are receiving. 

“But we must redouble efforts to ensure that levels of numeracy and literacy – which are rising sharply across the UK – reach the highest possible levels in our own county,” he said.

In secondary education just 20 per cent of 16 year olds in Dorset schools achieved the English Baccalaureate – a grade C or above in English, maths, science, history or geography and a language.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said: “These figures are disappointing and are a reminder, if one was needed, that there is a lot more to do in Dorset. 

“I have seen for myself how hard heads, their staff and children are working. 

“We know there a pockets of deprivation on Portland and in Weymouth and we must all continue to work together to give children from these areas the best start in life that we can.”

He added, while better funding was not the whole answer, there was ‘no doubt’ Dorset had been short-changed for many years. 

Education bosses said they are now ‘working hard’ to improve school standards. 

Cllr Deborah Croney, DCC’s cabinet member for economy, education, learning and skills, said: “We acknowledge that these performance figures from Ofsted are obviously not where we would want to be.

“We are working hard to support improvement in the attainment of pupils and the Ofsted ratings following inspections.

“There is already much to be proud of in Dorset schools that does not necessarily show in Ofsted’s statistics.”

Find out how your child's school performed in the table below: 

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