Relocating to Dorset, school recommendations

[Chillyjam]

We are relocating to Dorset in the near future (within a year for work). I have been looking at schools online, and the best state schools I can find are in Dorchester and Sherborne (on the good school guide). We have a 9 year old academic boy who is really not sporty, I would really like a high school where academic ability is praised/encouraged.
Any advice would be great thanks

Dorchester has a first/middle/upper school system so your ds would have to go to a middle school (several to choose from) until year 9.

Bournemouth and Poole have grammar schools (single sex) if that would interest you.

Sherborne is lovely and if your ds is musical I believe there's a combined orchestra with Gryphon (state school) and the Sherborne private schools.

Woodroffe in Lyme Regis was always well regarded, not sure what it's like now though.

Great thank you :) we aren’t really looking at the Poole bornemouth location and sadly Lyme Regis is to far to travel for work. But it’s good to know that sherborne is good, it will be a state school we are looking for