St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas, Sherborne

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend well."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children are safe and happy in the early years."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are receiving increasingly effective support."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The school's leadership has changed since the last inspection."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff care about pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' results in national assessments fluctuate year on year."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The school has an ambitious curriculum that sets out what pupils will learn as they move through the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve outcomes for pupils by ensuring that teaching quickly identifies and addresses gaps in pupils' reading, writing and mathematics and that strategies are systematically and skilfully adjusted to make a sustained difference to pupils"; "Leaders should clarify the foundational knowledge that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in the early years, need to acquire to be ready for the next stage in their education. Leaders, including governors, should then closely monitor the progress of all pupils, ensuring that teachers focus on this key knowledge so that pupils are well placed to succeed".

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 83% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 7 families put St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 7 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas are Thornford CofE Primary School (1.3 miles, Outstanding, 67% reading, 73% maths); Barwick and Stoford Community Primary School (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, 64% reading, 73% maths); Pen Mill Infant and Nursery Academy (1.9 miles); and Reckleford Infant School and Nursery (2 miles, Good).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas.

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas is one of 18 schools run by Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, an academy trust.

10% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 24 pupils (26.7%) received SEN support and 3 (3.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Yeovil Junction Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Marys School (opposite), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).

In 2024/25, St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas issued 10 suspensions, 11.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.