Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School is a happy, welcoming and highly effective school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found high expectations, a curriculum that builds knowledge and vocabulary securely from the early years, and reading at the heart of the school’s work, with pupils developing fluency and a love of reading. Behaviour is exemplary, pupils feel safe, and personal development is exceptionally strong through responsibilities, clubs, collective worship, community action and residential visits. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and supported to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, while staff check learning regularly and address misconceptions promptly. Leadership is strong across the school and trust; governance provides effective support and challenge, and staff value professional development and attention to workload and well-being. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is part of The White Horse Federation and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic; the report identifies no areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Reading is central to the curriculum and pupils develop fluency and a love of reading from the early years.
• The curriculum sets out important knowledge and vocabulary clearly and builds in regular revisiting and recall.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
• Staff check learning regularly and address errors and misconceptions swiftly.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, with effective routines and strong attendance work.
• Personal development is exceptional, including mental health support, relationships education and British values.
• Pupils take on responsibilities and develop talents through clubs, worship, choir and community activities.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with effective trust support and challenge.
• Staff value high-quality professional development and the school’s attention to workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Early years provides a nurturing environment that develops independence and curiosity.

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 Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.3% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Forest and Sandridge Church of England 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 Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.7% 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 Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% 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 Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School received £6,437 and spent £6,380 for each of its 464 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £288,000 (£622 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of The White Horse Federation, income was £7,712 and spending £7,474 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 Melksham · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School is part of The White Horse Federation, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Melksham Oak Community School Melksham
• The Manor CofE VC Primary School Melksham
• Bowerhill Primary School Melksham
• Seend Church of England Primary School Melksham
• Shaw CE Primary School Melksham
• St George's Church of England Primary School, Semington Trowbridge
• St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School Melksham
• Southbroom Infants' School Devizes
• Devizes School Devizes
• Tregoze Primary School Swindon

What is Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School have?

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School has 460 pupils on roll.

What age range does Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School cover?

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School?

Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School is at Cranesbill Road, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7GN.