St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School, Gillingham
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Gillingham, part of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 25 schools in Gillingham with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 94% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 43 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School are Gillingham Primary School (0.8 miles, 66% reading, 53% maths); Wyke Primary School (1.4 miles, 74% reading, 82% maths); Motcombe CofE Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 86% reading, 75% maths); and Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles, 72% reading, 39% maths).
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Gillingham Primary SchoolWyke Primary SchoolMotcombe CofE Primary SchoolMilton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School
The trust
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is one of 18 schools run by Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
9.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 49 pupils (20.2%) received SEN support and 5 (2.1%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gillingham (Dorset) Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Villas (nw-bound), 30 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2017, 9 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 2017 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 94% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary the Virgin Church of England 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary the Virgin Church of England 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School for 2020 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
97%
Near capacity
203 pupils
210 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Gillingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gillingham
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(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
22.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
242
Total Pupils
115
Boys
127
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
24.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,296
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,192
Per pupil
£1161k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
8.4%
Persistent absence
179
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
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary the Virgin Church of England 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School average 28.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School has around 242 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary the Virgin Church of England 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is at Pheasant Way, Gillingham, SP8 4GG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)