Sherborne Primary School

About Sherborne Primary School

Sherborne Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained since its most recent ungraded inspection in 2021, which confirmed the school remains Good. This marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection, where overall effectiveness was rated as Requires Improvement. The most telling academic metric for this primary school is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits at 47%. That figure is notably below the Dorset local authority average of 56%, placing the school 46th out of 119 similar primary schools in the area. In the broader South West region, it ranks in the 77th percentile, and nationally in the 83rd percentile, meaning roughly 83% of primary schools outperform it on this combined measure. The school's performance is strongest in reading, where 73% of pupils met the expected standard and the average score reached 104, while maths saw 61% at expected with an average score of 102.

Looking deeper into the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. While reading and writing expected standards are respectable at 73% and 69% respectively, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined is just 4%, and only 4% achieved higher in writing. Maths higher attainment is stronger at 24%, and reading higher at 22%. The school does not have Progress 8 scores available, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. In the Dorset local authority, only three primary schools hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating out of 119, so a Good rating places Sherborne in the solid middle tier. The school's leadership and management were also judged Good in the most recent graded inspection, and the ungraded visit in 2021 found no reason to change that assessment.

Sherborne Primary School is a mixed, non-denominational state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 319 pupils against a capacity of 330. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 70 applications for 42 places, with 39 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.67. The school serves a community where 21% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average. Facilities include a library, art studios, an outdoor playground, a forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer are athletics, tennis, football and dance, while clubs include coding, chess, gardening, eco club and choir. The school provides for a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a Good-rated local primary with a broad extracurricular offer, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to explore higher-performing options in the area.

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