Mainstream academic provision with a Land Based Specialism.

The Dorset Studio School is a thriving 11-16 mainstream school for students who wish to pursue careers in the Land and Environment Sectors. Our students will become professionals in Equine Care, Veterinary Nursing, Farming, Rural Craft, Environmental and Countryside Management; as well as a host of other related careers. We combine academic rigour with the sequential development of key employment skills across a focussed and interdisciplinary curriculum. There is a significant emphasis on study towards GCSE and Vocational qualifications, with approximately eighty percent of the week spent in classroom and land based study. Practical lessons will differ from those experienced in other schools. Our students will be out in all weathers completing the practical elements of their study towards key industry specific qualifications.

What is Dorset Studio School

Students not only work towards GCSEs but also a range of technical qualifications to prepare them for one of six professional pathways; the Environment and Conservation Professional, the Travel and Tourism Professional, the Farming Professional, the Equine Professional, the Veterinary Professional. This school is ideally suited to young people who are passionate about, and committed to learning, to developing the skills and qualifications required for careers in environmental science, land and countryside management, animal conservation and welfare, outdoor activities, agriculture and horticulture. Dorset Studio School's vision is to provide knowledge, skills and experience which will enable our students to thrive in a 21st Century global economy. Provision of an integrated and innovative 'land based" curriculum, enabling our students to lead the creative responses towards a sustainable global future.

Why the Dorset Studio School could be the perfect school for you

Dorset Studio School is co-sponsored by a unique partnership with Kingston Maurward College – a specialist land-based Further Education institution – and The Thomas Hardye School, an outstanding specialist science school. We place great emphasis on creating an adult environment through which students develop both personal and employment capacity. The Dorset Studio School allocates weekly curriculum time towards personal development. From entry students are supported through a planned pathway of personal, academic and career development. The school has strong links with local employers which lie at the heart of our model. Employability skills will run through all aspects of the curriculum, from the way students learn to the qualifications they achieve. Crucially students will experience an exciting and vibrant learning environment that encourages and develops independent thought, self-discipline, motivation and confidence, devoted to the rounded education and future of young people who are interested in a career in countryside, rural and coastal environments.

Connecting With Business

Work placements and employer engagement are an integrated part of the timetable. Industrial partnership ensures that our students develop the skills, knowledge and aptitudes that are relevant to modern land-based professions, a sector critical to the success of not only the region but also the UK. Dorset holds a key position in the country with a strong mixed farming community which offers a diverse range of careers, from environmental science and food production to crop and animal management. The Dorset Studio School will support young people to develop skills for careers in these vital growth areas by providing the qualifications and hands-on experience required to work at the highest level in land and countryside management, animal conservation and welfare, outdoor activities, agriculture and food & horticulture.