Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School, Shaftesbury
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school provides warm, caring pastoral support where pupils feel known, safe and valued as individuals. Staff are working hard to improve teaching quality, particularly in reading, and there is excellent support available for pupils with additional needs. The school offers a rich range of enrichment activities and teaches pupils important lessons about respect, responsibility and wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with clear systems and open communication
- Effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils through targeted interventions and professional staff development
- Improving teaching in phonics and early reading across the school
- Comprehensive personal development programme including pupil parliament, youth council, and education about British values
- Caring pastoral support and nurture provision helping pupils feel safe and ready to learn
Areas for Improvement
- Mathematics and writing outcomes significantly below national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
- Gaps in basic skills including spelling and multiplication tables recall
- Inconsistent implementation of curriculum across some subjects and classes
- Early years provision lacks purpose in some learning time and staff interactions don't consistently support language development
- Attendance remains a concern, with persistent absence not reducing across all year groups
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open, positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Pupil parliament, youth council, science workshops, residential visits, cultural and historical site visits, structured lunchtime activities
Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School is working hard to improve after a period of underperformance, with leaders making positive changes in teaching and support for disadvantaged pupils. The school provides caring pastoral support and a broad curriculum, though academic outcomes remain below national averages in key areas.
At a Glance
24.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 65% to 54%. Maths has remained stable at around 52%. Writing has improved from 54% to 69%.
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
24.2
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
13
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
333 pupils
420 capacity
87 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Shaftesbury
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Shaftesbury
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(104)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
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
5.98649%
Overall absence
21.53846%
Persistent absence
325
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School
Nearby Schools
Do you work at this school?
Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.