Classpot

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas

Dorset, DT9 6RHPrimaryAges 4–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Feb 2022
KS2 Results
58%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
0.9×
Not oversubscribed
13 1st-choice / 14 places
Ranking
#8,401
of 13,686 nationally

About St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas

Parents considering St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Bradford Abbas will find a small village school that is genuinely popular with local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 21 applications for just 14 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.5. Of those 21 applications, 13 were first-preference choices, and 13 first-preference offers were made — meaning every family who put it first got a place, but anyone listing it lower had no chance. That level of demand suggests a school that local parents trust and want. The school itself is small, with 89 pupils against a capacity of 119, so there is some physical room to grow, but the waiting list shows it is already operating near its natural limit in terms of local appeal. The headteacher is Ian Bartle, and the school has a Church of England character, which may be a factor for some families, though the data does not indicate any faith-based admissions criteria.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range4 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressMill Lane, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6RH
HeadteacherIan Bartle
Local AuthorityDorset
Number of Pupils89
Free School Meals (FSM)6.9%
School Capacity89 / 119 (75% 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
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

2 Feb 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 20 Mar 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
Music RoomsArt StudiosICT SuiteDining HallSensory RoomOutdoor PlaygroundChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

11

Sports

SwimmingNetballCricketGymnasticsFootballTennis

Clubs & Activities

DramaBook ClubGardeningChoirEco Club

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

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning Difficulty

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:50 – 15:15

Breakfast club

08:00-08:35

After-school care

15:15-16:15

Source: bradfordabbas.dorset.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.