Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Dorchester
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Dorchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 7 schools in Dorchester with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 71% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 71% in Dorset and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 91% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (4.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 47% maths); and Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School (4.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 63% maths).
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolMaiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School
What parents say
25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
5.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (17.1%) received SEN support and 1 (1.4%) 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.
Staffing
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chetnole Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School Corner (sw-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Dorset (25).
Suspensions and exclusions
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's vision, 'aspire, believe, belong and achieve - let your light shine' underpins the inclusive culture and community ethos of the school. The school sets high expectations for all pupils. As a result, pupils' attitudes to school are incredibly positive. They are proud of the school and enjoy learning. Pupils are highly motivated. The majority of pupils learn well.
A positive and respectful culture permeates throughout the school. The school establishes high expectations for pupils' behaviour right from the start. Children in early years quickly learn the expected routines. For example, the mantra 'choose it, use it, put it away' helps them to learn to be independent in their choices and to look after resources.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has carefully constructed a clear and ambitious curriculum for all subjects. It sets out the knowledge that the school expects pupils to know and remember. The curric-ulum builds from strong foundations in the early years. The school has high aspirations for pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school swiftly identifies pupils' needs and ensures that appropriate support is put into place.
Reading is a priority. Staff are well trained to support pupils with learning to read. They swiftly identify when pupils fall behind and give them the help they need to catch up. Pu-pils read books that match the sounds they know and have learned. This helps them to read with increasing fluency and confidence.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
5.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
25 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 91% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 100% to 89% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
17.5
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
18.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Do you know about LOOKSMAXXING?
30 Sep 2026
Become a school parent governor and help support and shape school life
21 Sep 2026
Wake up Wednesday on changes to KCSIE 2026
7 Sep 2026
Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts in Beaminster
7 Sep 2026
Do you know what skin betting is?
14 Jul 2026
Ideas for the summer holidays
14 Jul 2026
From Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for 2014 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
71%
Available places
85 pupils
119 places
34 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
70
Total Pupils
33
Boys
37
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
11.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,422
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,804
Per pupil
£647k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
14.9%
Persistent absence
74
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 71% of its 119 places.
How big are the classes at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School average 17.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 70 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Dorset is 3 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Summer Lane, Evershot, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 0JP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)