Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
About Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School stands out in Dorset for its academic performance, significantly outperforming the local authority average. While the average Key Stage 2 expected standard in reading, writing and maths across Dorset primary schools sits at 56%, this school achieves 69% of its pupils reaching that benchmark. That places it 17th out of 119 primary schools in the county, comfortably in the top tier. The school is oversubscribed, with 71 applications for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake, and 34 of those were first preferences, giving a ratio of 2.37 applicants per place. This level of demand suggests local families recognise the strong outcomes on offer. The school is a Church of England primary with a mixed intake of 206 pupils, nearly at its capacity of 210, and a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 30.6%.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 70 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
26 Mar 2025Latest monitoring visit (26 Mar 2025): Standards maintained
Source: Ofsted, 6 Jun 2019. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:45-08:30
Source: blandfordstmary.dsat.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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