Isle of Portland - Education

Education

The Chesil Education Partnership pyramid area operates in south Dorset, and includes five infant schools, four junior schools, twelve primary schools, four secondary schools and two special schools. 69.8% of Portland residents have qualifications, which is slightly below the Dorset average of 73.8%. 10.2% of residents have higher qualifications (Level 4+), less than the Dorset average of 18.3%.

There are two infant schools on Portland—Brackenbury Infant School in Fortuneswell and Grove Infant School. Portland has one junior school Underhill Community Junior School in Fortuneswell, (a second junior school, Tophill Junior School was absorbed into St George's Primary School in 2006) and two primary schools, St George's Primary School in Weston and Southwell Primary School. Royal Manor Arts College in Weston is Portland's only secondary school, however it has no sixth form centre. In 2007, 57% of RMAC students gained five or more grade A* to C GCSEs.

Some students commute to Weymouth to study A-Levels, or to attend the other three secondary schools in the Chesil Education Partnership. Budmouth College in Chickerell has a sixth form centre which had 296 students in 2006. Weymouth College in Melcombe Regis is a further education college which has around 7,500 students from south west England and overseas, about 1500 studying A-Level courses. In 2006, Budmouth students received an average of 647.6 UCAS points, and Weymouth College students gained 614.1. Some secondary and A-Level students commute to Dorchester to attend The Thomas Hardye School; in 2007, 79% of Hardye school students received five or more A* to C GCSEs, and 78% of all A-Level results were A to C grades.