The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. The school's commitment to inclusivity, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, is commendable, and leaders have successfully fostered a positive learning environment where students feel safe and supported. The curriculum has seen improvements, especially in reading, writing, and mathematics, and extracurricular activities help cultivate well-rounded citizens.

Strengths

• Strong focus on reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Diverse extracurricular activities promoting teamwork and community service.
• Positive relationships among pupils with a supportive school environment.
• Strong leadership and governance ensuring accountability and improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject curriculums require further refinement to deepen pupils' knowledge.
• Excessive time spent on testing in Year 6 hampers broader curriculum engagement.
• Delay in supporting some Year 1 pupils to achieve reading fluency.

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 The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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, 1.6% of pupils at The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury 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 The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% 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, 14.9% of pupils at The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury received £6,231 and spent £6,348 for each of its 201 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £62,000 (£310 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 Shaftesbury · Dorset local authority: places and applications

What is The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury last inspected by Ofsted?

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury have?

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury cover?

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury?

The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury is at St James's Street, St James St, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8HQ.