Thornford CofE Primary School

Thornford CofE Primary School is performing strongly overall. Inspectors found the quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision to be good, while behaviour and attitudes and personal development were outstanding. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has a warm, kind culture, pupils are happy and safe, behaviour is impeccable, attendance is high, and parents overwhelmingly recommend the school. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum, strong reading provision, effective SEND support, and exceptional wider development opportunities. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection under its current status as an academy converter within Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust, although the predecessor school had previously been judged outstanding. The executive headteacher and head of school joined in September 2024. The report notes that schools inspected from September 2024 are not given an overall effectiveness grade. The main area for improvement is assessment in a minority of subjects. Checks on pupils’ understanding are not consistently used to inform future teaching, which means some pupils can develop misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. The school should modify its assessment approach so that checks more consistently shape future teaching.

Strengths

• A kind, compassionate culture where pupils feel happy, safe and welcome
• Impeccable behaviour and excellent attitudes to learning
• High expectations, with strong phonics outcomes and above-average Year 6 results
• A broad and balanced curriculum that builds knowledge progressively from the early years
• A strong reading and vocabulary focus, with early reading books well matched to pupils’ stages
• Quick identification of SEND and effective support using external specialist advice
• High attendance, supported by careful analysis and strong relationships with families
• Exceptional personal development that builds resilience, confidence and curiosity
• Exceptional wider opportunities in sport, music, performance, outdoor education, trips and visits
• Pupils value diversity and discuss equality and discrimination maturely
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• A knowledgeable local academy committee and a committed trust

Areas for Improvement

• In a minority of subjects, assessment checks are not used consistently to inform future teaching, allowing some pupils to develop misconceptions or gaps in knowledge

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 Thornford CofE Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.4% 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 Thornford 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 Thornford CofE Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.0% 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, 9.6% of pupils at Thornford CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% 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 Thornford CofE Primary School received £6,327 and spent £6,697 for each of its 102 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £10,000 (-£102 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 Sherborne · Dorset local authority: places and applications

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

• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas Sherborne
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• Sherborne Primary School Sherborne
• The Gryphon School Sherborne
• Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Dorchester
• King Arthur's School Wincanton
• Sturminster Newton High School Sturminster Newton
• Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Blandford Forum

What is Thornford CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thornford CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Thornford CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thornford CofE Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Thornford CofE Primary School have?

Thornford CofE Primary School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thornford CofE Primary School cover?

Thornford CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thornford CofE Primary School?

Thornford CofE Primary School is at Boot Lane, Thornford, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6QY.