Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School

Voluntary controlled school·First school Dorchester, Dorset·DT2 7LA

School type

First school

Ages 3–9

Key Stage 2 performance

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is a first school for pupils aged 3–9. Pupils move on to a separate junior or middle school before Year 6, so the school does not enter pupils for the Key Stage 2 SATs and has no KS2 results to publish.

This applies to every first school in England — it does not mean data is missing. Ofsted judgements and school information are shown below.

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first

100%

16 first choices, 16 places

First choices per place

1.00

fewer first choices than places

Applications naming the school

any preference, for 16 places

First preferences per place, last five years▶ 0.00

00.511.5

1 per place

1.1320221.0020231.0020241.0020251.002026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

Every child who put Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School first was offered a place in 2026, so no distance cut-off applied: living further away did not cost a place that year.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

Ofsted judgements

Legacy framework · Read full report ↗

Overall effectiveness

Good

Quality of education

Good

Behaviour and attitudes

Good

Personal development

Good

Leadership and management

Good

Safeguarding effective?

Yes

Early years provision

Good

School profile

Age range: 3–9
Pupils on roll: 81
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6

10.3%

Typical primary: 21.5%

% EAL

1.2%

Typical primary: 9.6%

Special educational needs

% SEN support

12.3%

Typical primary: 14.3%

% with an EHC plan

2.5%

Typical primary: 3.0%

Attendance

Overall absence

4.5%

Typical primary: 5.3%

Persistently absent

6.0%

Typical primary: 13.3%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher

20.3

Typical primary: 20.7

Spend per pupil

£7,847

Typical primary: £6,960

“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means

Nearby primary schools

Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Dorchester · 3.0 mi 53.2 Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Dorchester · 4.8 mi 41.0 Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Dorchester · 5.9 mi 47.3 Hazelbury Bryan Primary School Sturminster Newton · 7.0 mi 52.5 Dorchester Middle School Dorchester · 7.1 mi 37.7 St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown Dorchester · 7.2 mi 52.5 St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Dorchester · 7.5 mi 51.7 All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Sherborne · 7.5 mi 81.3

Location

Official sources

Latest Ofsted report reports.ofsted.gov.uk DfE Compare School Performance compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk GIAS school details get-information-schools.service.gov.uk

About Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is a primary school in Dorchester, Dorset, classified by the DfE as a voluntary controlled school with a Church of England religious character. Around 81 pupils aged 3 to 9 attend the school. The school holds a 'Good' judgement from Ofsted.

Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School their first choice was offered one of its 16 Reception places. Overall pupil absence was 4.5%. There are about 20.3 pupils per teacher. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 10% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.