Stower Provost Community School

Stower Provost Community School has significantly improved since its previous inspection. The small Dorset primary school is now judged good across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision, with safeguarding arrangements effective. Leaders have strengthened the curriculum, SEND support and the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, and most pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils are well cared for, feel safe and happy, and most behave well. Personal development is a notable strength, supported by a wide range of activities and experiences, and most parents strongly support the school and value its family atmosphere. Early years children generally get a good grounding in the basics and are ready for Year 1. There are still areas to improve. Some curriculum areas are not implemented consistently, particularly personal, social and emotional development in the early years and writing across year groups. Some pupils are not fully confident that the school deals effectively with bullying, and leaders recognise that trying to improve too many areas at once can slow progress.

Strengths

• Curriculum is more effective, with pupils recalling and remembering important 'sticky knowledge'.
• Support for pupils with SEND has become more effective and rigorous.
• Teaching of reading, writing and mathematics has improved through new approaches and training.
• Pupils behave well, are polite, and get on well together.
• Pupils' personal development is strong through a wide range of activities and experiences.
• Pupils feel safe and happy, and staff take their concerns seriously.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively.
• Most parents strongly support the school and value its caring, family atmosphere.
• Early years children get a good grounding in reading, writing and mathematics and are ready for Year 1.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Governors understand the school's strengths and areas for further work and are highly supportive.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum areas are not implemented consistently, particularly personal, social and emotional development in early years and writing in all year groups.
• Some pupils are not fully aware of the school's approach to bullying and lack confidence that it deals effectively with bullying and unkindness.
• Some early years areas are not broken down sufficiently to ensure children learn the skills and knowledge needed for the next stage.
• Some pupils do not spell correctly or use grammar and punctuation accurately in their writing.
• Leaders sometimes try to improve too many areas at once, which can slow the speed of improvement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Stower Provost Community School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.1% of pupils at Stower Provost Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Stower Provost Community School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.2% of pupils at Stower Provost Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Stower Provost Community School received £8,850 and spent £8,994 for each of its 92 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £56,000 (£609 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Gillingham (Dorset) · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Stower Provost Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Stower Provost Community School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Stower Provost Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Stower Provost Community School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Stower Provost Community School have?

Stower Provost Community School has 92 pupils on roll.

What age range does Stower Provost Community School cover?

Stower Provost Community School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Stower Provost Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 40% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Stower Provost Community School?

Stower Provost Community School is at Woodville Stour Provost, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 5LX.