Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery, Salisbury
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Salisbury, part of The Heath Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. It was 55% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Dorset (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery in detail
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A warm welcome to our village school which is nestled in the beautiful surroundings of Cranborne Chase where we look to develop our children into young people who are prepared for each part of their learning journey in school and beyond."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 5:00pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery as their first choice and 14 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery are Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery (3.9 miles); and Cranborne Church of England First School (4.6 miles, Good).
Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and NurseryCranborne Church of England First School
The trust
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery is one of 6 schools run by The Heath Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
5.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 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 Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St. Mary's Close (se-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2014 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
5.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.0
Avg class size
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery 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
55%
Available places
59 pupils
108 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Salisbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salisbury
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
73
Total Pupils
35
Boys
38
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,724
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,284
Per pupil
£514k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
3.8%
Persistent absence
53
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery
What is Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 55% of its 108 places.
How big are the classes at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
Classes at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery average 20 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery has around 73 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery in 2024/25. 3.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery 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 Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery?
Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery is at Common Road, Sixpenny Handley, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)