Rushcombe First School

Rushcombe First School has been judged as outstanding in all areas during its recent inspection, marking its first routine inspection since being exempt under prior outstanding ratings. The school creates a supportive and productive environment, where students excel academically and personally. Parents express high satisfaction, indicating a strong community feeling. The curriculum is designed with inclusivity and ambition at its core, ensuring even those with special educational needs achieve remarkable results. The school also emphasizes personal development and has effective safeguarding measures in place.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across the curriculum
• Exemplary behaviour and attitudes of pupils
• High expectations set by staff for all pupils
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
• Strong emphasis on personal development and well-being
• Exceptional leadership and management
• Inclusive environment with a wide range of extracurricular activities

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 Rushcombe First School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Rushcombe First 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 Rushcombe First School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.8% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Rushcombe First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Rushcombe First School received £5,803 and spent £5,708 for each of its 313 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £368,000 (£1,176 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 Wimborne · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Rushcombe First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushcombe First School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Rushcombe First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushcombe First School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Rushcombe First School have?

Rushcombe First School has 313 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushcombe First School cover?

Rushcombe First School for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is Rushcombe First School?

Rushcombe First School is at Hanham Road, Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3PX.