Puddletown Church of England First School, Dorchester
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where every child feels valued and safe. Reading is central to the curriculum with excellent phonics teaching, and pupils become confident fluent readers from Reception onwards. The school celebrates pupils' achievements regularly and helps them develop into respectful, responsible citizens prepared for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with consistent phonics teaching and high-quality books - pupils become fluent readers from the start
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils with a calm, purposeful learning environment
- Effective personal development curriculum teaching pupils to be active, respectful citizens
- Pupils behave well, feel safe, and are proud to take on leadership roles such as school council
- Teachers present information clearly and model new learning well in most lessons
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding consistently during lessons, so teaching is not always adapted to meet individual needs
- Support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent - sometimes tasks do not enable them to learn effectively
- Some pupils struggle to remember their learning and secure essential knowledge because lessons are not always adapted based on understanding checks
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council leadership roles, before- and after-school club
Puddletown Church of England First School is judged to be Good across all areas. The school is ambitious for pupils to thrive, with staff making learning interesting and pupils contributing eagerly during lessons.
At a Glance
9.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
54 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Puddletown Church of England First School
From Puddletown Church of England First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
134 pupils
150 capacity
16 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Dorchester
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Dorchester
Admissions Demand - Dorset
Places available
3,776
Applications
2,808
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
Primary admissions across Dorset (2025/26)
Inspection History(4)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.39842%
Overall absence
9.56522%
Persistent absence
115
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Puddletown Church of England First School
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