Sherborne Primary School, Sherborne
Sherborne Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sherborne, part of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. That was 13 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 6 schools in Sherborne with published results, and 12,528th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Sherborne Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Sherborne Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 73% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Sherborne Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 48 families put Sherborne Primary School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Sherborne Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sherborne Primary School are Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 60% reading, 54% maths); Milborne Port Primary School (2.5 miles); Trent Young's CofE Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths); and Thornford CofE Primary School (3.4 miles, Outstanding, 67% reading, 73% maths).
Sherborne Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary SchoolMilborne Port Primary SchoolTrent Young's CofE Primary SchoolThornford CofE Primary School
The trust
Sherborne Primary School is one of 18 schools run by Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
50 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sherborne Primary School (as of April 2026): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (84%).
Who goes there
5.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 39 pupils (12.8%) received SEN support and 9 (3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sherborne Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Simons Road (nw-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 37 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sherborne Primary School issued 33 suspensions, 10.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Sherborne Primary creates a caring, inclusive community where all pupils feel they belong and are known as individuals. The school has successfully built a positive behaviour culture focused on kindness and respect, with excellent attendance and dramatically reduced suspensions. Staff work extensively to support disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs through carefully planned interventions.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with clear systems to keep pupils safe and help them feel secure
- Positive behaviour and attendance culture built on kindness and respect, with significant reduction in suspensions
- Inclusive approach that welcomes all families and provides targeted support for disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality is inconsistent and does not effectively help pupils remember knowledge over time, particularly in maths and writing
- Pupils' written work and mathematical understanding lag behind their reading skills
- Staff do not always check accurately what pupils know, so teaching is not adapted to address gaps and misconceptions
- Older pupils have gaps in personal development learning due to recent curriculum changes
- Individual targets for pupils with SEND are not precise enough to measure impact of support
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Gardening, choir, crafts, sporting competitions, drama performances
Sherborne Primary School is a caring community where pupils feel safe and belong, but the quality of teaching and pupil achievement in writing and mathematics need significant improvement to better prepare students for their next stage of education.
At a Glance
18.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
50 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 73% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 61% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
24.6
Infant (KS1)
30.2
KS2
11
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sherborne Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sherborne Primary School.
- Activate Camps at Sherborne School940m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sherborne Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sherborne Primary 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Sherborne Primary School
Will you get a place at Sherborne Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sherborne Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sherborne Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sherborne Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sherborne Primary School for 2017 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
95%
Near capacity
314 pupils
330 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sherborne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sherborne
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
304
Total Pupils
168
Boys
136
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,452
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,113
Per pupil
£1810k
Total funding
£95k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
12.6%
Persistent absence
277
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Sherborne Primary School
Questions parents ask about Sherborne Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sherborne Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sherborne Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 55% did so in maths.
What is Sherborne Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sherborne Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sherborne Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sherborne Primary 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 Sherborne Primary School?
Sherborne Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Sherborne Primary School?
Classes at Sherborne Primary School average 27.6 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Sherborne Primary School?
Sherborne Primary School has around 304 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sherborne Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Sherborne Primary School in 2024/25. 12.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sherborne Primary School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Sherborne Primary 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.
Does Sherborne Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Sherborne Primary School: Activate Camps at Sherborne School (940m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Sherborne Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Sherborne Primary School?
Sherborne Primary School is at Harbour Way, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4AJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)