St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt, Fordingbridge
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Fordingbridge, part of The Heath Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 56% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt in detail
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At St. James' Nursery we have a passion for caring for and nurturing young children as they begin their journey into early education. St. James' Nursery, set in our leafy Forest School location, offers high quality, flexible nursery childcare for children aged 2-4 years old. We serve children from a range of local areas."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £4.12 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt as their first choice and 29 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt are Fordingbridge Infant School (2.5 miles, Good); Fordingbridge Junior School (2.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Hillside Community First School (2.8 miles, Good); and Trinity Church of England First School (2.8 miles).
Fordingbridge Infant SchoolFordingbridge Junior SchoolHillside Community First SchoolTrinity Church of England First School
The trust
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is one of 6 schools run by The Heath Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (4%) received SEN support and 3 (2.4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Lane (e-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 10 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2013, 13 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 October 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
17.9
Avg class size
19.3
Infant (KS1)
14.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
Will you get a place at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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
56%
Available places
84 pupils
150 places
66 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Fordingbridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Fordingbridge
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
5
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
6.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
125
Total Pupils
56
Boys
69
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,807
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,511
Per pupil
£596k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
64
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
What is St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt's Ofsted rating?
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
No fixed boundary. When St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is oversubscribed, Dorset allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt was not full in 2025: it ran at 56% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
Classes at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt average 17.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt has around 125 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
4.6% of sessions were missed at St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is at Park Lane, Alderholt, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 3AJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)