Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School, Blandford Forum
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 0 to 11 in Blandford Forum, part of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 9 schools in Blandford Forum with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School in detail
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School. We are a busy but friendly school, with lots going on. Please feel free to contact the school direct with any queries you may have. Archbishop Wake CE Primary School is a loving, caring, inclusive and forgiving community where we respect, appreciate and support each other and our environment."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 79% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 38 families put Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 72 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School are Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 83% maths); Milldown CofE Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 66% reading, 62% maths); Downlands Community School (2 miles, Requires improvement, 54% reading, 65% maths); and Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School (2.1 miles, 70% reading, 70% maths).
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolMilldown CofE AcademyDownlands Community SchoolPimperne Church of England VC Primary School
The trust
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School is one of 28 schools run by Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Leonards School (sw-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 94 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
23.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 78% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
27.2
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School is in Dorset; for families living there:
Apply to Dorset for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Dorset got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
371 pupils
420 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Blandford Forum
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Blandford Forum
Across Dorset council
Places available
3,692
Applications
2,795
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Dorset council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
83
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
23.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
411
Total Pupils
207
Boys
204
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
21.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,190
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,172
Per pupil
£2169k
Total funding
£141k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
17.4%
Persistent absence
351
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School average 28 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School has around 411 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 17.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School?
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School is at Black Lane, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8SW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)