Piddle Valley Church of England First School, Dorchester
Piddle Valley Church of England First School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Dorchester, part of Wessex Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 35% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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
Piddle Valley Church of England First School in detail
Piddle Valley Church of England First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Jesus said: Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5.16) "At Piddle Valley CE First School, we envision a nurturing environment where every child feels valued and empowered to reach their fullest potential."
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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Piddle Valley Church of England First School as their first choice and 21 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Piddle Valley Church of England First School are Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School (2.9 miles, Good); Cheselbourne Village School (3.3 miles, Good); Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School (3.8 miles, Good, 88% reading, 100% maths); and St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster (4.6 miles).
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First SchoolCheselbourne Village SchoolBuckland Newton Church of England Primary SchoolSt Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
The trust
Piddle Valley Church of England First School is one of 12 schools run by Wessex Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
7.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 2 (5%) 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
Piddle Valley Church of England First 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The New School (nw-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Piddle Valley Church of England First School issued 5 suspensions, 11.4 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 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 November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
22.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
13.7
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
14.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Piddle Valley Church of England First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Piddle Valley 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Will you get a place at Piddle Valley Church of England First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Piddle Valley Church of England First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Piddle Valley Church of England First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Piddle Valley 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School for 2016 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
35%
Available places
40 pupils
115 places
75 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
30.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
40
Total Pupils
16
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
8.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,416
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,388
Per pupil
£416k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
17.1%
Overall absence
25.0%
Persistent absence
36
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Piddle Valley Church of England First School
What is Piddle Valley Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?
Piddle Valley Church of England First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
No fixed boundary. When Piddle Valley 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Piddle Valley Church of England First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 35% of its 115 places.
How big are the classes at Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Classes at Piddle Valley Church of England First School average 13.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Piddle Valley Church of England First School has around 40 pupils on roll. 23% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
17.1% of sessions were missed at Piddle Valley Church of England First School in 2024/25. 25% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Piddle Valley 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
Piddle Valley Church of England First School is at Piddletrenthide, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7QL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)