Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School, Sherborne
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a highly inclusive school where all children thrive under high expectations and skilled staff. Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum, excellent pastoral care, and wonderful enrichment experiences. The school has made impressive improvements under new leadership, with better attendance and stronger teaching across the school.
Key Strengths
- Strong culture of inclusion where all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, feel they belong and flourish
- Excellent personal development and wellbeing provision that prepares pupils well for modern Britain
- Well-designed, knowledge-rich curriculum with effective teaching of phonics and mathematics
- Effective safeguarding with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed
- Significantly improved attendance rates now at or above national average
Areas for Improvement
- Some early years activities not always precisely linked to what children know, sometimes lacking appropriate challenge
- Historically low published outcomes for Year 6 pupils, though new leaders have raised expectations
- Need to continue improving access to wider enrichment opportunities for disadvantaged pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Athletics, art, football, musical theatre, worship ambassador roles, playground leader roles, theatre visits in London, British Museum visits, residential outdoor education visits (caving, canoeing), activity passport (bird watching, baking), Brecon Beacons trips, sailing lessons on south coast
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School is a thriving school where pupils benefit from high expectations, strong inclusion, and a rich curriculum. New leadership has raised ambitions and systematically addressed previous areas of concern, resulting in improved attendance and achievement.
At a Glance
25.4%
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 73% to 60%. Maths has declined from 63% to 54%. Writing has improved from 53% to 66%.
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
10
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
336 pupils
420 capacity
84 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Sherborne
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Sherborne
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
5.80854%
Overall absence
16.88312%
Persistent absence
308
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School
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