Trinity Church of England First School, Verwood
Trinity Church of England First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Verwood, part of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 81% full in 2025.
- 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
Trinity Church of England First School in detail
Trinity Church of England First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Trinity, the children always come first and we strive to provide the best in terms of education as well as being a supportive community. Everything we do at Trinity is underpinned by our aims and values. We believe that children who attend Trinity First School will have the opportunity to grow as individuals in a happy and secure environment."
The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Trinity Church of England First School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Trinity Church of England First School as their first choice and 81 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Trinity Church of England First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Trinity Church of England First School are Hillside Community First School (0.4 miles, Good); Verwood Church of England First School (1 mile, Good); Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School (2.2 miles, Good); and St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt (2.8 miles, Good).
Hillside Community First SchoolVerwood Church of England First SchoolThree Legged Cross First and Nursery SchoolSt James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
The trust
Trinity Church of England First School is one of 28 schools run by Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Trinity Church of England First School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (94%).
Who goes there
12.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 11 pupils (8.6%) received SEN support and 2 (1.6%) 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.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Trinity Church of England First School.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Trinity Church of England First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Trinity Church of England First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Trinity Church of England First School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in January 2021. Before that, as Trinity CofE VA First School (URN 132767), it was rated Outstanding in February 2014.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Trinity Church of England First School excels at creating a nurturing environment where every child feels valued and heard. The school offers exceptional opportunities for personal development, including music, dance, sports clubs, and leadership roles that help pupils flourish holistically. Parents appreciate the safe, caring atmosphere and the school's high expectations for both behaviour and achievement.
Key Strengths
- Excellent reading instruction with impressive phonics screening results and well-trained staff
- Outstanding personal development programme with abundant clubs, trips, and leadership opportunities for all pupils
- Strong school culture based on Trinity values of faith, hope and love, creating a safe and nurturing environment
- High-quality staff training and coaching that develops confident, effective teachers
- Exceptionally strong governance that holds leaders to account and supports school improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Bespoke curricula for pupils with complex learning needs are not yet fully embedded, limiting their achievement
- Some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND struggle with reading fluency because books are too difficult for them, affecting their access to other subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Art club, choir, netball, rounders, play buddies, school council, worship team, eco warriors, residentials (including Osmington Bay trip), charity work (food banks, Uganda link school)
Trinity Church of England First School is a nurturing community school where pupils are happy, safe, and proud to attend. The school has been rated Good for quality of education and behaviour, with Outstanding grades for personal development and leadership and management.
At a Glance
12.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
46 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Trinity Church of England First School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Trinity Church of England First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Trinity Church of England First 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)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Trinity Church of England First School
Will you get a place at Trinity Church of England First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Trinity Church of England First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Trinity Church of England First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Trinity Church of England First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Dorset, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Trinity Church of England First School for 2021 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
81%
Available places
121 pupils
150 places
29 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Verwood
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Verwood
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
10.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
128
Total Pupils
62
Boys
66
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,113
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,500
Per pupil
£703k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
8.5%
Persistent absence
106
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
Trinity Church of England First School
Questions parents ask about Trinity Church of England First School
What is Trinity Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?
Trinity Church of England First School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in January 2021. Before that, as Trinity CofE VA First School (URN 132767), it was rated Outstanding in February 2014.
What is the catchment area for Trinity Church of England First School?
No fixed boundary. When Trinity Church of England First 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 Trinity Church of England First School?
Trinity Church of England First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 150 places.
How many pupils go to Trinity Church of England First School?
Trinity Church of England First School has around 128 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Trinity Church of England First School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Trinity Church of England First School in 2024/25. 8.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Trinity Church of England First School?
Apply through Dorset's coordinated admissions process, naming Trinity Church of England First 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 Trinity Church of England First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Trinity Church of England First School?
Trinity Church of England First School is at Coopers Lane, Verwood, Dorset, BH31 7PG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)