Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School

Cerne Abbas C of E VC First School has been inspected for the first time in over a decade and has been rated as good overall, reflecting a solid return to routine evaluations. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum, and its pupils feel happy, safe, and engaged, showcasing a healthy rate of attendance and excellent links with the local community. The leadership has maintained high expectations and a positive learning environment, where behaviour is commendable and staff morale is high. Notably, the school has supportive parental involvement and encourages both academic and personal development.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high attendance and a positive attitude towards school.
• Strong links with the local community enhance students' learning experiences.
• Effective phonics program leads to confident and fluent readers.
• High levels of staff morale, with staff feeling well supported by leadership.
• Regular staff training ensures subject knowledge is strong.

Areas for Improvement

• Quality of pupils' written work does not consistently reflect their knowledge and skills.
• Some learning activities lack precision, failing to deepen pupils' understanding effectively.

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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School had 18.6 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, 6.5% of pupils at Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% 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 Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School received £9,335 and spent £9,398 for each of its 74 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,000 (£48 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 Dorchester · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School have?

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School has 77 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School cover?

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?

Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is at Duck Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7LA.