Verwood Church of England First School

Verwood Church of England First School has been graded as good overall in its first inspection under the current framework since becoming an academy. The school has shown a strong commitment to supporting pupil success, particularly in establishing clear expectations for behavior and attitudes toward learning. Pupils generally behave well and feel safe, benefiting from strong relationships with staff and a holistic approach to personal development. The curriculum is ambitious and tailored to the local context, fostering a love for reading and cultural awareness among students.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between adults and pupils promote a trusting environment.
• A love for reading is evident across the school.
• Effective management of the phonics program supports reading development.
• Pupils with SEND receive well-adapted learning opportunities.
• High staff morale and support for professional development.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation varies, impacting pupil learning outcomes.
• In some subjects, such as mathematics, pupils struggle to recall key knowledge.
• The school lacks precise evaluation of curriculum impact on learning.

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 Verwood Church of England First School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.7% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Verwood Church of England First School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Verwood Church of England First School had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.7% 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, 8.0% of pupils at Verwood Church of England First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% 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 Verwood Church of England First School received £6,154 and spent £6,029 for each of its 291 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £60,000 (£205 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Initio Learning Trust, income was £7,286 and spending £7,320 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.

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All schools in Dorset · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Verwood Church of England First School is part of Initio Learning Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Emmanuel Church of England Middle School Verwood
• Hillside Community First School Verwood
• Colehill First School Wimborne
• Hayeswood First School Wimborne
• St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill Wimborne
• Witchampton Church of England First School Wimborne
• St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne Wimborne
• Allenbourn Middle School Wimborne
• Queen Elizabeth's School Wimborne
• Merley First School Wimborne

What is Verwood Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Verwood Church of England First School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Verwood Church of England First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Verwood Church of England First School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Verwood Church of England First School have?

Verwood Church of England First School has 289 pupils on roll.

What age range does Verwood Church of England First School cover?

Verwood Church of England First School for pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Verwood Church of England First School?

Verwood Church of England First School is at Howe Lane, Verwood, Dorset, BH31 6JF.