Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School has been rated as good in all areas during its first inspection since becoming an academy. The school fosters strong relationships between staff and pupils, creating a nurturing and supportive environment that encourages positive behavior and personal development. The curriculum is well-structured and leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils attain high standards in literacy, especially in phonics, where targeted support is provided for those in need. Overall, pupils are happy at school and exhibit a sense of pride in their achievements and contributions to the community.

Strengths

• Strong relationships built on trust and respect between staff and pupils.
• Well-structured and coherent curriculum from early years to Year 6.
• High expectations for pupil behavior creating a calm and orderly environment.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Encouragement of teamwork through various activities and residential visits.

Areas for Improvement

• Underdeveloped role of subject leaders in some curriculum areas.
• Inconsistent measurement of the impact of curriculum improvements.
• Pupils lacking a secure understanding of fundamental British values.

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 Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.4% 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 Charlton Horethorne 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 Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School had 15.8 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, 14.3% of pupils at Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School received £8,596 and spent £8,498 for each of its 47 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £19,000 (£405 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 · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School is part of Sherborne Area Schools' Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• The Gryphon School Sherborne
• Sherborne Primary School Sherborne
• King Arthur's School Wincanton
• Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• Thornford CofE Primary School Sherborne
• St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas Sherborne
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Sherborne
• Sturminster Newton High School Sturminster Newton
• St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Gillingham
• Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Dorchester

What is Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School have?

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School has 49 pupils on roll.

What age range does Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School cover?

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School?

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School is at Charlton Horethorne, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4NL.