Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School, Dorchester
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Dorchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. It was full in 2025, at 105% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School in detail
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The school is small with an Early Years Class (FS1 and 2), a KS1 class (Years 1 and 2 together) and a KS2 class (Years 3 and 4 together). It is set in the beautiful village of Cerne Abbas. It is a Church of England, Voluntary Controlled School with strong links to the church and the church community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, choir and cooking.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 11 January 2027, an open day on Wednesday 13 January 2027, an open day on Monday 18 January 2027 and an open day on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Dorset
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School as their first choice and 27 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School are Piddle Valley Church of England First School (2.9 miles, Good); Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 88% reading, 100% maths); and Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School (4.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 63% maths).
Piddle Valley Church of England First SchoolBuckland Newton Church of England Primary SchoolMaiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
5.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 5 pupils (6.5%) received SEN support and 1 (1.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is New Inn (ne-bound), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
5.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
10.8
Avg class size
17.5
Infant (KS1)
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
NHS Guidance Sheet for Childhood Illnesses
2 Oct 2026
Parent Online Safety Newsletter October
29 Sep 2026
Application to start Middle School Sept 2027
28 Sep 2026
Is your child starting school next year?
28 Sep 2026
Newsletter 2 Autumn Term 1 2026/2027
25 Sep 2026
Sleep Tight Workshop
22 Sep 2026
From Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Before and after school care
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Dorset
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cerne Abbas CofE VC First 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Will you get a place at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School for 2014 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
105%
Over capacity
68 pupils
65 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dorchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dorchester
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
7.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
77
Total Pupils
46
Boys
31
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
15.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,216
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,231
Per pupil
£541k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
3.4%
Persistent absence
58
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
What is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's Ofsted rating?
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
No fixed boundary. When Cerne Abbas CofE VC First 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School was full in 2025, at 105% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Classes at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School average 10.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School has around 77 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School in 2024/25. 3.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Cerne Abbas CofE VC First 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.
Does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is at Duck Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7LA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)