Milldown CofE Academy

About Milldown CofE Academy

Milldown CofE Academy is a Church of England primary in Dorset that is running very close to full capacity, with 207 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 210. That near-full picture is backed up by the school’s admission data for the 2025/26 intake: it received 65 applications for just 28 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.32. Of those, 27 were first-preference applications, and 27 first-preference offers were made — meaning every family who put Milldown first got a place, but the overall demand was more than double the spaces available. The school’s intake reflects a notably higher-than-average level of disadvantage: 23.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 23.8% and a Dorset average that typically sits lower. That makes Milldown a genuinely mixed-intake school in socioeconomic terms, and the fact it remains oversubscribed suggests strong local confidence in what it offers.

Academically, Milldown performs well above the local authority average at Key Stage 2. In the 2023/24 results, 69% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, against a Dorset average of 56%. That places the school 18th out of 68 primaries in the county, comfortably inside the top 30%. Individual subject scores are strong: 86% met the expected standard in reading, 97% in writing and 72% in maths. At the higher standard, 31% achieved greater depth in reading, 21% in maths and 14% in writing, though only 3% hit that level across all three subjects. Ofsted visited in October 2022 and rated the school Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That’s a clear improvement from the Requires Improvement rating it received in 2017, and the inspection report notes the school has maintained Good across all areas since then.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including playing fields, a sports hall, a gymnasium, art studios, an ICT suite, a chapel and a Forest School programme. Sports provision covers cricket, swimming, dance, tennis and netball, while clubs include art, coding, film and chess. SEND support is broad, with specialist provision for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment and physical disability. There is no nursery or sixth form, and it is a day school only. Milldown will suit families who want a Church of England primary with strong academic outcomes relative to the local area, a genuinely mixed socioeconomic intake, and enough specialist SEND capacity to support a range of needs. The oversubscription figures suggest it is a popular choice locally, but first-preference applicants have a good chance of securing a place.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Milldown CofE Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents