St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester, Dorchester
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Dorchester, part of Plymouth Cast. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- 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
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester in detail
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester in its own words
In its own words: "To be the best you can be, by following the Greatest Commandment by sharing God's love with everyone we meet. 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength and love your neighbour as yourself' 'This is the greatest and first commandment. Love God above all else'."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester as their first choice and 88 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester are Manor Park Church of England First School (0.3 miles); The Prince of Wales School (1.1 miles, Good); Damers First School (1.5 miles, Good); and St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster (2.1 miles).
Manor Park Church of England First SchoolThe Prince of Wales SchoolDamers First SchoolSt Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
The trust
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is one of 34 schools run by Plymouth Cast, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
5.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (6.8%) received SEN support and 4 (2.3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dorchester South Rail Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Culliford Road South (w-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 107 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. 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, St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester issued 2 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester are St Osmund's Church of England Middle School (0.2 miles), Dorchester Middle School (0.8 miles), The Thomas Hardye School (1.1 miles) and Dorset Studio School (1.3 miles).
St Osmund's Church of England Middle SchoolDorchester Middle SchoolThe Thomas Hardye SchoolDorset Studio School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from July 2010, 16 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 July 2010 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
5.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.8
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
5
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
From St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester.
- Premier Education - Manor Park530m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Will you get a place at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester? Get the admissions report
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What the report includes for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester:
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- 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester for 2015 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
101%
Over capacity
151 pupils
150 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dorchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dorchester
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
9.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
177
Total Pupils
89
Boys
88
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
19.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£35,727
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,333
Per pupil
£880k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
10.6%
Persistent absence
123
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's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
What is St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
Classes at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester average 29.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester has around 177 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
5.4% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester in 2024/25. 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester: Premier Education - Manor Park (530m 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 St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is at Lucetta Lane, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 2DD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)