The Forum School is an independent special school in Blandford Forum, Dorset, for children and young people aged 7 to 19.
- Ages 7–19
- 31 pupils
- Ofsted: Requires improvement
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 7 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 31 (places for 66)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jane Holloway (Principal)
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Opened
- 19 June 1992
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 116593
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Dorset council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Requires improvement, October 2024
Rated Requires improvement at its last graded inspection, in October 2024.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Sixth formRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Independent school standards: all standards met.
Contact and getting there
Shillingstone, Blandford Forum, DT11 0QS
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Yewstock School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.9 miles
- The Forum Centre Alternative provision · Ages 5–16 · Ofsted: Good 4.9 miles
- The Luccombe Hub Independent · Ages 8–18 6.4 miles
By need in Dorset: Autism (13) · Speech and language (11) · Moderate learning (9) · Physical (7) · SEMH (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Severe learning (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about The Forum School
How do I get a place at The Forum School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult The Forum School. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does The Forum School take?
Aged 7 to 19, boys and girls.
What is The Forum School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is The Forum School?
Shillingstone, Blandford Forum, DT11 0QS, in Dorset.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.