Classpot

Hillside Community First School

Dorset, BH31 7HEPrimaryAges 4–9MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
May 2023
KS2 Results
No data
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
58 1st-choice / 59 places
Ranking
Not ranked

About Hillside Community First School

Hillside Community First School sits within Dorset local authority, one of 119 primary schools in the area. It is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 4 to 9, with no religious character and no nursery or sixth form provision. The school is not among the top-ranked peers in the authority — those are Spetisbury CofE Primary School, St Ives Primary & Nursery School, and Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School — but it is a popular choice locally. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, Hillside was oversubscribed: it received 107 applications for 59 places, with 57 offers going to first-preference families. That works out at 1.81 applications per place, and 58 of those applications were first preferences, so competition is real but not extreme. The school’s capacity is 240, and it currently has 206 pupils on roll, meaning there is some headroom. 17.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 9 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressHillside Road, Verwood, Dorset, BH31 7HE
HeadteacherDavid Graves
Local AuthorityDorset
Number of Pupils206
Free School Meals (FSM)17.5%
School Capacity206 / 240 (86% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

11 May 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Outstanding

Latest monitoring visit (11 May 2023): School remains Good

Source: Ofsted, 2 Feb 2011. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
Outdoor PlaygroundPlaying FieldsForest SchoolMusic RoomsSensory RoomGymnasiumLibraryChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

AthleticsNetballSwimmingFootballDanceTennis

Clubs & Activities

CodingEco ClubChess

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hillside Community First School

Hillside Community First School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.