Motcombe CofE Primary School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 8 families put Motcombe CofE Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 21 in 2021 to 8 in 2026, while places went from 24 to 8.
Across Dorset, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Dorset lodged 28 appeals against primary school offers; 20 reached a hearing and 3 succeeded (15% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 8 | 38 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 11 | 46 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 | 14 | 47 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 22 | 22 | 57 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 17 | 17 | 52 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 24 | 21 | 63 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2020 | 27 | 24 | 70 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 22 | 17 | 57 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2018 | 23 | 23 | 63 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 18 | 14 | 59 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2016 | 20 | 20 | 55 | 1.0 | 1 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.