St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery, Ferndown

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 29

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.8km)Possible (~2.5km)Unlikely (~3.3km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Laura Crossley
Pupils:148 / 184 capacity
LA:Dorset
Phone:01202874838
Address:Station Road, West Moors, Ferndown, BH22 0JF
Trust:THE HEATH ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 December 2015

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 23 April 2025View full report
URN:142514
UKPRN:10054984
Diocese:Diocese of Salisbury
Constituency:Christchurch
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This is a warm, welcoming school where staff build strong relationships and get to know each child well. Reading is a real priority with expert teaching helping all pupils become confident, fluent readers. The school is also excellent at developing pupils' leadership skills and sense of responsibility - children vote for role models and participate in community activities like singing at care homes.

Key Strengths

  • Warm relationships and welcoming environment help pupils feel comfortable and secure
  • Strong focus on early reading with well-trained staff ensuring pupils become fluent readers
  • Clear curriculum sequencing from Nursery to Year 4 helps pupils retain important knowledge
  • Well-developed pupils' leadership skills through democratic voting for role models
  • Pupils achieve well in national assessment and attendance has improved

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistencies in how misconceptions in mathematics and some other subjects are identified and addressed
  • Gaps in knowledge from previous curriculum have not been fully addressed in some subjects
  • Support for pupils with SEND sometimes lacks precision in helping them meet their personalised targets
  • Need for more effective assessment systems to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff supporting pupils to feel comfortable sharing any worries.

Extracurricular Activities

Forest garden activities, bush crafts, visits to local lakes, singing at local care homes, serving soup to local residents, water safety talks, fire brigade visits, visits from scientists and athletes

St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery is a welcoming school where warm relationships underpin everything that happens. Pupils achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

At a Glance

16.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

42 responses
Would recommend95%
Child is happy93%
Well taught95%
Good progress81%
Feels safe93%
Well behaved88%
Bullying dealt with5%
Kept informed91%
Handles concerns52%
Wider development88%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

23.8

Avg class size

24.7

Infant (KS1)

22.5

KS2

5

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

St Marys Church (S-bound)
86m · 1 min walk
Tap and Railway (N-bound)
253m · 4 min walk
Denewood Road (S-bound)
345m · 6 min walk
Station Road Shops (opp)
470m · 8 min walk
War Memorial (NW-bound)
570m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

80%

Available places

148 pupils

184 capacity

36 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Ferndown

High pressure
New homes approved:302
Projected new pupils:76

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ferndown

Admissions Demand - Dorset

Low demand0.74x oversubscription

Places available

3,776

Applications

2,808

Got 1st preference

94.1%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Dorset (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

23 April 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
18 October 2023
21 March 2018

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.78144%

Overall absence

12.2449%

Persistent absence

98

Enrolments

Authorised3.65377%
Unauthorised1.12767%
Persistent (10%+)12.2449%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.77376%
18/19
2.85813%
20/21
7.97397%
21/22
6.17012%
22/23
5.65826%
23/24
4.78144%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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