Motcombe CofE Primary School

Motcombe CofE Primary School is performing well overall, maintaining a good standard across all areas of education, behavior, and leadership. The school fosters a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and cared for, resonating with the school's vision of faith and friendship, learning and laughter. There are strong efforts in promoting reading, with staff using a consistent approach to ensure all pupils, including those with special educational needs, develop good reading skills. Extracurricular activities contribute positively to the school culture, showcasing its inclusive nature. However, the inspection highlighted some areas for improvement, particularly in the identification and sequencing of knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects, which has led to gaps in pupils' understanding. Additionally, while safeguarding practices are generally effective, there are concerns regarding the thoroughness of records pertaining to safeguarding actions. These points suggest that while the school excels in many areas, there are critical steps that leaders need to take to ensure consistent progression for all pupils.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Strong emphasis on reading, with effective strategies for developing literacy skills.
• Positive behavior and attitudes demonstrated by pupils.
• Inclusive culture with varied extracurricular activities.
• Effective leadership and management with staff support.
• Well-planned personal development curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in knowledge and learning in some wider curriculum subjects.
• Insufficient detail in safeguarding records.

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 Motcombe CofE Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.3% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Motcombe CofE Primary 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 Motcombe CofE Primary School had 20.8 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, 17.8% of pupils at Motcombe CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 2021–22 Motcombe CofE Primary School received £5,422 and spent £5,425 for each of its 182 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £64,000 (£349 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, income was £6,237 and spending £6,314 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 Shaftesbury · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Motcombe CofE Primary School is part of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School Shaftesbury
• St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Gillingham
• Shaftesbury School Shaftesbury
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Shaftesbury
• Sturminster Newton High School Sturminster Newton
• St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford Blandford Forum
• King Arthur's School Wincanton
• Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum
• Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• The Gryphon School Sherborne

What is Motcombe CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Motcombe CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Motcombe CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Motcombe CofE Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Motcombe CofE Primary School have?

Motcombe CofE Primary School has 146 pupils on roll.

What age range does Motcombe CofE Primary School cover?

Motcombe CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Motcombe CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Motcombe CofE Primary School?

Motcombe CofE Primary School is at Church Road, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 9NT.