Witchampton Church of England First School
68%
Capacity
51
Pupils
2.9x
Demand
About Witchampton Church of England First School
Witchampton Church of England First School is a small state primary in Dorset that clearly commands strong local loyalty. In its most recent admissions round for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 23 applications for just 8 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.88. That means nearly three families applied for every spot, and only 6 first-preference offers could be made. While the school doesn't publish a parent recommendation percentage, the sheer demand suggests a positive reputation among local families. With just 51 pupils on roll against a capacity of 75, the school is comfortably full but not bursting, and the headteacher Sarah Fairman leads a Church of England setting that serves children from ages 5 to 9.
Academically, Witchampton holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, with all five graded categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — each rated Good. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2009, when the school was judged Outstanding overall. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment in Dorset is 56, and while Witchampton's own KS2 results are not provided in the data, the school's Good rating across the board suggests solid foundations. The Ofsted report notes strong behaviour and attitudes, which aligns with the school's small size and Church of England ethos. For a school of this scale, maintaining consistent quality across all areas is a notable achievement.
The school offers a practical range of facilities including a library, sensory room, playing fields, art studios, music rooms, and a chapel, alongside sports like football, cricket, swimming, and athletics. Clubs cover drama, film, and science. For children with additional needs, the school supports moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication difficulties. With no nursery provision and no sixth form, Witchampton is squarely a first school for the early primary years. Given its oversubscription, families should apply early and consider it a strong local option for a small, Church of England primary with good Ofsted grades and a clear focus on personal development.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 5 to 9 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Witchampton, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 5AP |
| Headteacher | Sarah Fairman |
| Local Authority | Dorset |
| Number of Pupils | 51 |
| School Capacity | 51 / 75 (68% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
28 Mar 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 24 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed8
23
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
6 families put this school as their 1st choice (26% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.2%
- White (other)7.8%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
1
Total schools
1
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Witchampton Church of England First School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Witchampton, Wimborne
Dorset, BH21 5AP
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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