The Thomas Hardye School is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit and resourced provision in Dorchester, Dorset, for children and young people aged 13 to 18. Its specialist base has 20 places for specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment and speech, language and communication.
- Ages 13–18
- 2,014 pupils
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit and resourced provision
- Ages
- 13 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit and resourced provision, 20 places, 20 pupils
- Pupils
- 2,014
- Headteacher
- Mr N St J F Rutherford (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Wessex Multi Academy Trust
- Council
- Dorset
- School reference (URN)
- 137163
Needs its base supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Dorset (12)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Dorset (10)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Dorset (4)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Dorset (8)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Dorset (5)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Dorset (2)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Dorset (2)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Dorset (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Dorset (6)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Dorset council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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
Graded by area, February 2025
Inspected in February 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Dorchester Middle School Mainstream + base · Ages 9–13 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.2 miles
- The Prince of Wales School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–9 0.3 miles
- Damers First School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–9 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 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 Thomas Hardye School
How do I get a place in The Thomas Hardye School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does The Thomas Hardye School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Thomas Hardye School take?
Aged 13 to 18, boys and girls.
What is The Thomas Hardye 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 Thomas Hardye School?
Queen's Avenue, Dorchester, DT1 2ET, 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.