Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Sandford St Martin’s Church of England Voluntary-Aided Primary School has shown significant improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a 'Requires Improvement' rating to 'Good' overall. The school excels in fostering an inclusive environment enriched by Christian values, resulting in pupils who are not only proud of their school but also exhibit exceptional behaviour and engagement in learning. There is a strong leadership team in place that actively collaborates with staff, parents, and pupils to ensure everyone shares the school's ambitious vision for education. However, while the quality of teaching and the curriculum are generally effective, there are some inconsistencies in how knowledge is communicated in certain subjects, which requires attention from school leaders to ensure all teachers can implement the curriculum effectively. The school benefits from a diverse range of enrichment activities, and pupils demonstrate a strong thirst for learning, alongside well-targeted support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The leadership team is dedicated to enhancing teachers' professional development and managing their workloads, which positively contributes to staff morale. There is also a robust safeguarding framework in place, ensuring that pupils feel safe and well cared for. Despite these strengths, leaders are working towards making the curriculum expectations clearer across all subjects to improve learning outcomes further.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit exceptional behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• The school fosters an inclusive environment based on Christian values.
• Strong leadership collaboration with staff, parents, and pupils.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A wide range of enrichment opportunities and extra-curricular clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, curriculum knowledge expectations are not clear enough.
• Variability in the implementation of subject curriculums by teachers.

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 Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.2% 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, 12.9% of pupils at Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £6,643 and spent £6,698 for each of its 342 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £25,000 (£73 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 Wareham · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 342 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Sandford, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7BN.