SchoolScoresWinterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School
Voluntary aided school · Primary, ages 3 to 9 · Mixed · Church of England · Nursery class
Winterbourne Abbas, Dorchester, DT2 9LW
01305 889297 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 27 January 2026 , published 19 April 2026.
In short: 6 expected, 1 needs attention, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Early yearsNursery and reception classes. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
38 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Dorchester comparisons use the 3 of its 16 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 13 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Dorchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 1st highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorchester. Higher than 64% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 95% | 91% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 1st highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorchester. Higher than 60% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 95% | 91% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 1st highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorchester. Higher than 66% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 92% | 85% | 78% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 35 parents who had raised a concern 1st highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorchester. Higher than 60% of 1,062 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 86% | 79% | 74% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 13 parents of children with SEND 1st highest of 7 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorset. Higher than 75% of 552 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 85% | – | 63% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 2nd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Dorchester. Higher than 75% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 97%said yes | 91% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 58%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Dorchester figures pool parents at the Dorchester schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Dorset. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.
| Places offered | 12 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 11 |
| Of those, offered a place | 11 (100%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 15 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.9 · 2025: 0.6 · 2026: 0.9
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
This is a Church of England school. When it has more applicants than places it can give priority to families of the faith, for example those who can show regular worship. Check the school's admissions policy to see how places are allocated.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 16th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 3% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 4.6% | 19.4%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan 14th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 19% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 1.5% | 3.7%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 15th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 15% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 9.2% | 16.4%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language 8th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 23% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 3.1% | 5.8%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 5th lowest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Lower than 71% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 4.3% | 5.3%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 10th lowest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Lower than 46% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 12.3% | 12.6%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 9th lowest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Lower than 42% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 1.5 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 12th lowest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Lower than 26% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher 15th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 3% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 12.7 | 20.5 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 13th highest of 16 state primary schools in Dorchester. Higher than 16% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 8.6 | 10.7 | 10.6 |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26.
Questions parents ask
What is Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School's Ofsted rating?
Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 27 January 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 6 expected, 1 needs attention, and safeguarding was met.
Would parents recommend Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School?
97% of the 38 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 11 families put Winterbourne Valley CofE Aided First School as their first choice for 12 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 11 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 113820.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.