St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne
About St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne
St John's Church of England First School in Wimborne serves 141 pupils aged 5 to 9, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. That puts it in solid company within Dorset, where only three out of 119 primary schools currently hold an Outstanding rating. The nearest Outstanding alternative is Hampreston Church of England First School, about four kilometres away. For a small first school, St John's is clearly popular: it received 54 applications for 26 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, making it oversubscribed by more than two to one. Twenty-four of those applicants listed it as their first preference, and all 24 were offered a place. That level of demand suggests local families see it as a strong option, even if its headline Ofsted grade doesn't reach the top tier.
Key Details
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 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
24 Jan 2023Source: Ofsted, 6 Mar 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
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.
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