Sopley Primary School, Christchurch
Sopley Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Christchurch. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 10 schools in Christchurch with published results, and 13,289th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hampshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sopley Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at Sopley Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 46% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Hampshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 53% in reading and 27% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sopley Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Sopley Primary School as their first choice and 36 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 Sopley Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sopley Primary School are Bransgore Church of England Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 79% maths); Burton Church of England Primary School (2 miles, Requires improvement, 69% reading, 67% maths); Twynham Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 85% reading, 94% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch (3.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 85% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Sopley Primary School.
Bransgore Church of England Primary SchoolBurton Church of England Primary SchoolTwynham Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch
Who goes there
4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (7%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hinton Admiral Rail Station, about 3.4 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sopley Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1.2 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; 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
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from November 2013, 12 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 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 53% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 27% to 46% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 40% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
25.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sopley Primary School
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sopley Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sopley Primary School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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 Sopley Primary School
Will you get a place at Sopley Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sopley Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sopley Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sopley Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hampshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sopley Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hampshire 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
77%
Available places
81 pupils
105 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Christchurch
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Christchurch
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,642
Applications
12,982
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
71
Total Pupils
35
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
14.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,261
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,250
Per pupil
£698k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
20.0%
Persistent absence
80
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Sopley Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sopley Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sopley Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 46% did so in maths.
What is Sopley Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sopley Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sopley Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sopley Primary School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sopley Primary School?
Sopley Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Sopley Primary School?
Classes at Sopley Primary School average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sopley Primary School?
Sopley Primary School has around 71 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sopley Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Sopley Primary School in 2024/25. 20% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sopley Primary School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sopley 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.
How many road collisions happen near Sopley Primary School?
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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sopley Primary School?
Sopley Primary School is at South Ripley, Bransgore, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 8ET.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)