Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy is a small village primary school that is performing well overall, meeting the expected standard across all evaluated areas. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their education, with strong outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The school has a warm, inclusive ethos, pupils behave well and attend regularly, and leadership, governance and personal development are all effective. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well overall, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and are ready for the next stage of their education
• Pupils enjoy school, attend regularly, and behave well, showing politeness, kindness and consideration
• The curriculum is broad and well sequenced from the early years, and teachers typically deliver it well
• Staff teach phonics particularly well, helping pupils to read accurately and fluently
• Children get off to a positive start in the early years and make good progress from their starting points
• Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and work effectively with families and external professionals to remove barriers to learning and wellbeing
• Leaders use additional funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils' early reading and mathematical development
• A wide range of enrichment opportunities, including clubs, educational visits and leadership roles, contributes well to pupils' character development
• Leaders prioritise staff workload and wellbeing, and staff benefit from well-structured professional development
• Effective systems support pupils' emotional wellbeing, and pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe
• Pupils show respect for others and develop a secure understanding of diversity and fundamental British values

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' progress is uneven across different subjects, with some subjects, such as history, not developing the same depth of knowledge, skills and understanding
• Pupils do not routinely apply their knowledge of spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting to produce high-quality written work across the wider curriculum
• Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not consistently effective in some subjects beyond English and mathematics
• Overall absence and persistent absence are above the national average
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment in reading is below the national average

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 Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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 Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy 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 Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy had 14.9 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, 19.2% of pupils at Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% 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 2024–25 Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy received £10,040 and spent £10,774 for each of its 47 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £20,000 (£435 per pupil).

Across all 28 schools of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, income was £7,549 and spending £7,556 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Warminster · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy is part of Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• Trent Young's CofE Primary School Sherborne
• Durweston Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum
• Milldown CofE Academy Blandford Forum
• Broad Chalke CofE Primary School Salisbury
• Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum
• Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum
• Wilton CofE Primary School Salisbury
• Shrewton CofE Primary School Salisbury
• Spetisbury CofE Primary School Blandford Forum
• Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery Wimborne

What is Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy have?

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy has 52 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy?

Whitesheet Church of England Primary Academy is at Chapel Lane, Zeals, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 6NL.