Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School, Blandford Forum
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 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 May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 9 schools in Blandford Forum with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School in detail
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 88% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School are Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 74% maths); Milldown CofE Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 66% reading, 62% maths); Spetisbury CofE Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); and Durweston Church of England Primary School (2.5 miles, 100% reading, 100% maths).
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary SchoolMilldown CofE AcademySpetisbury CofE Primary SchoolDurweston Church of England Primary School
The trust
Blandford St Mary 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.
What parents say
70 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 94% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (93%).
Who goes there
3.4% 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bryanston Court (nw-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 66 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, Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a warm, welcoming environment where children are genuinely happy and proud to attend. Staff have high expectations and use skilled teaching, particularly in reading, to help all pupils succeed. The school goes above and beyond to support each child's needs and well-being, with excellent extra activities and trips that develop confidence and team skills.
Key Strengths
- Warm, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils with high expectations for learning
- Strong focus on reading from Reception Year with skilled phonics teaching, helping all pupils become confident readers
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, ensuring they access the same curriculum as their peers
- Rich personal development opportunities including residential trips, farm visits, beach trips and castle visits that build resilience and teamwork
- Wide range of well-attended clubs including choir, netball and football, open to all pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Recent curriculum refinements not yet fully embedded across all subjects, leading to some gaps in pupils' subject-specific knowledge
- Safeguarding records sometimes lack sufficient detail, which could mean vital information is missed when connecting incidents
- Need to ensure all staff consistently record clear details and actions taken in response to safeguarding concerns
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - the school keeps pupils safe and responds promptly to support those in need, though some records lack sufficient detail.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, netball, football, residential trip to outdoor centre, farm visits, beach trips, ancient technology centre visits, castle visits
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School has maintained its good standards and continues to be a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils are happy, safe and achieve well. The school has ambitious curriculum refinements in place and strong support systems for all learners.
At a Glance
27.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
70 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 88% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 75% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
6
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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Blandford St Mary 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
4 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Blandford St Mary 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 Blandford St Mary 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
26
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
208
Total Pupils
101
Boys
107
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,463
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,468
Per pupil
£1280k
Total funding
£94k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.9%
Persistent absence
185
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
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Blandford St Mary 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School average 30.2 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School has around 208 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 11.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Blandford St Mary 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 4 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 Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School?
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School is at Birch Avenue, Blandford St Mary, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 9QD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)