St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster, Dorchester
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Dorchester, part of Initio Learning Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 71% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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 Church of England First School, Charminster in detail
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster in its own words
In its own words: "On behalf of our staff and LSC members, I would like to welcome you to the St Mary's family. St Mary's Charminster is a wonderful school, full of happy children who love to learn and dedicated adults who love to teach."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster as their first choice and 57 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster are Damers First School (1.2 miles, Good); The Prince of Wales School (2 miles, Good); St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester (2.1 miles, Good); and Manor Park Church of England First School (2.3 miles).
Damers First SchoolThe Prince of Wales SchoolSt Mary's Catholic First School, DorchesterManor Park Church of England First School
The trust
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is one of 19 schools run by Initio Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
9.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Dorchester West Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Cross (w-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster issued 4 suspensions, 2.7 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 Church of England First School, Charminster are The Thomas Hardye School (1.7 miles) and Dorchester Middle School (1.7 miles).
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
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2025. Before that, as St Mary's CofE VC First School, Charminster (URN 113784), it was rated Good in June 2019.
At a Glance
9.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
31.0
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
Keep up with St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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's Church of England First School, Charminster
Will you get a place at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster.
- 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 Church of England First School, Charminster for 2025 and 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
71%
Available places
150 pupils
210 places
60 spare places 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
20.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
148
Total Pupils
72
Boys
76
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
18.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,916
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,374
Per pupil
£883k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
4.8%
Persistent absence
125
Enrolments
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 Church of England First School, Charminster
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster
What is St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in January 2025. Before that, as St Mary's CofE VC First School, Charminster (URN 113784), it was rated Good in June 2019.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster?
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster?
Classes at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster average 29.6 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 Church of England First School, Charminster?
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster has around 148 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster?
4.1% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster in 2024/25. 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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's Church of England First School, Charminster?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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's Church of England First School, Charminster?
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is at West Hill, Charminster, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 9RD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)