Cheselbourne Village School, DORCHESTER
Cheselbourne Village School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Dorchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 67% full in 2025.
- 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
Cheselbourne Village School in detail
Cheselbourne Village School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Cheselbourne Village School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Cheselbourne Village School as their first choice and 15 named it as one of their preferences, for 7 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 Cheselbourne Village School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cheselbourne Village School are Milborne St Andrew First School (2.8 miles, Good); Piddle Valley Church of England First School (3.3 miles, Good); Puddletown Church of England First School (3.7 miles, Good); and Dunbury Church of England Academy (4.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 55% maths).
Milborne St Andrew First SchoolPiddle Valley Church of England First SchoolPuddletown Church of England First SchoolDunbury Church of England Academy
Who goes there
2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (14.3%) received SEN support and 4 (8.2%) 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
Cheselbourne Village School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 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 Cheselbourne Village School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village School (opposite), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cheselbourne Village School issued 5 suspensions, 9.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from April 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 April 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
26.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
17.0
Avg class size
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Cheselbourne Village School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cheselbourne Village School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cheselbourne Village 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Cheselbourne Village School
Will you get a place at Cheselbourne Village School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cheselbourne Village School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cheselbourne Village School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cheselbourne Village School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Cheselbourne Village 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
67%
Available places
40 pupils
60 places
20 spare places 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
22.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
49
Total Pupils
22
Boys
27
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
9.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,690
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,025
Per pupil
£434k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
11.4%
Persistent absence
35
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Cheselbourne Village School
What is Cheselbourne Village School's Ofsted rating?
Cheselbourne Village School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Cheselbourne Village School?
No fixed boundary. When Cheselbourne Village 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 Cheselbourne Village School?
Cheselbourne Village School was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 60 places.
How big are the classes at Cheselbourne Village School?
Classes at Cheselbourne Village School average 17 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cheselbourne Village School?
Cheselbourne Village School has around 49 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cheselbourne Village School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Cheselbourne Village School in 2024/25. 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cheselbourne Village School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Cheselbourne Village 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 Cheselbourne Village School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cheselbourne Village School?
Cheselbourne Village School is at Cheselbourne, DORCHESTER, Dorset, DT2 7NT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)