Loders CofE Primary Academy

Loders CofE Primary Academy is a strong school that has maintained its effective standards since the last inspection. It offers a nurturing environment where staff and pupils build warm relationships, fostering a love for learning. The curriculum is well designed and ambitious, especially in supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), allowing them to thrive alongside their peers. However, the school recognizes the need to enhance its assessment procedures to ensure that pupils' retention of knowledge is secure across all subjects. Pupils demonstrate excellent behavior and a positive attitude toward learning, making them feel happy and safe at school. The school excels in promoting personal development through various clubs and community responsibilities, encouraging resilience and leadership skills. Parents appreciate the inclusive and caring approach of the school, which actively supports mental health and well-being. The trust provides strong guidance, further enhancing the school’s endeavors and commitment to high standards.

Strengths

• Promotes a strong love for learning.
• Nurturing relationships between staff and pupils.
• High expectations leading to good achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Effective support and adaptation of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.
• Impressive behavior and positive attitudes among pupils.
• Rich personal development opportunities through various clubs and responsibilities.
• Proactive approach to addressing students' and families' needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment systems across wider curriculum subjects.
• Gaps in pupils' knowledge in some subjects.

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 Loders CofE Primary Academy attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Loders CofE 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 Loders CofE Primary Academy had 18.8 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, 18.1% of pupils at Loders CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.9% 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 Loders CofE Primary Academy received £9,176 and spent £8,019 for each of its 69 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £19,000 (£277 per pupil).

Across all 29 schools of The First Federation Trust, income was £7,461 and spending £7,535 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 Bridport · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Loders CofE Primary Academy is part of The First Federation Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• Marshwood CofE Primary Academy Bridport
• Charmouth Primary School Bridport
• Portesham Church of England Primary School Weymouth
• Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Thorncombe
• Hawkchurch Church of England School Axminster
• Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy Lyme Regis
• Axminster Community Primary Academy Axminster
• Chickerell Primary Academy Weymouth
• St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy Axminster
• Musbury Primary School Axminster

What is Loders CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Loders CofE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Loders CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Loders CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Loders CofE Primary Academy have?

Loders CofE Primary Academy has 72 pupils on roll.

What age range does Loders CofE Primary Academy cover?

Loders CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Loders CofE Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Loders CofE Primary Academy?

Loders CofE Primary Academy is at Loders, Loders, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3SA.