Cranborne Church of England First School, Wimborne
Cranborne Church of England First School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Wimborne, 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 October 2023. It was 48% full in 2025.
- 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
Cranborne Church of England First School in detail
Cranborne Church of England First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the children, staff, and governors, I welcome you to Cranborne Church of England First School and Nursery. We are enormously proud of our school, and its place within our community. Our school is happy, vibrant and successful, with children at the heart of all that we do."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Cranborne Church of England First School
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put Cranborne Church of England First School as their first choice and 29 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 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 Cranborne Church of England First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cranborne Church of England First School are Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery (1.8 miles); Trinity Church of England First School (2.9 miles); Hillside Community First School (3.3 miles, Good); and Verwood Church of England First School (3.6 miles, Good).
Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and NurseryTrinity Church of England First SchoolHillside Community First SchoolVerwood Church of England First School
The trust
Cranborne Church of England First 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
16.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 1 (1.4%) 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
Cranborne Church of England First School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 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 Cranborne Church of England First School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Crane Street Fire Station (w-bound), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
Cranborne Church of England 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 multi-academy trust performance data; 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 October 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
17.3
Avg class size
18.0
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Cranborne Church of England First School
Newsletter #2 - Friday 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter #1 - Friday 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter #21 - Wednesday 22nd July 2026
22 Jul 2026
Newsletter #20 - Friday 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
Newsletter #19 - Friday 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
Newsletter #18 - Friday 12th June 2026
12 Jun 2026
From Cranborne Church of England First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Cranborne Church of England First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cranborne Church of England First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cranborne Church of England 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
- 0
- 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: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Cranborne Church of England First School
Will you get a place at Cranborne Church of England First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Cranborne Church of England First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Cranborne Church of England First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Cranborne Church of England 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 Cranborne Church of England First School for 2021 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
48%
Available places
65 pupils
135 places
70 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wimborne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wimborne
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
8.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
73
Total Pupils
32
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,869
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,356
Per pupil
£518k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
6.0%
Persistent absence
50
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
Cranborne Church of England First School
Questions parents ask about Cranborne Church of England First School
What is Cranborne Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?
Cranborne Church of England First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Cranborne Church of England First School?
No fixed boundary. When Cranborne Church of England 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 Cranborne Church of England First School?
Cranborne Church of England First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 48% of its 135 places.
How big are the classes at Cranborne Church of England First School?
Classes at Cranborne Church of England First School average 17.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cranborne Church of England First School?
Cranborne Church of England First School has around 73 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cranborne Church of England First School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Cranborne Church of England First School in 2024/25. 6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cranborne Church of England First School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Cranborne Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near Cranborne Church of England 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: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Cranborne Church of England First School?
Cranborne Church of England First School is at Water Street, Cranborne, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 5QB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)