St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Shaftesbury Review 2026: Small-school warmth, strong KS2 outcomes

A village primary with a clear Church of England identity and a strong recent trajectory. St Andrew’s sits in a rural setting in Fontmell Magna, with a roll well below its published capacity, which often brings a close-knit feel and more individual attention for pupils. The school is part of Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust.

Leadership is structured across the trust, with Mr Matthew Barge listed as Headteacher or Principal on the government register, and the most recent inspection report also naming Dan King as Head of School. The same report notes leadership changes in 2023 and 2024, including the Head of School taking up post in September 2023 and the executive headteacher role from May 2024.

For families focused on primary outcomes, the headline is simple, KS2 attainment is strong, and local demand for places looks healthy.

This is a Church of England school where faith is part of the daily rhythm, rather than a badge. Collective worship sits explicitly within the timetable, and the wider curriculum language is anchored in Christian framing, especially around community and responsibility.

The most recent published inspection evidence describes a warm and welcoming culture, high expectations, and a calm, orderly environment supported by consistent routines and a clearer behaviour approach. The school’s “be ready, be respectful, be safe” learning behaviours are a good example of that, they are simple, memorable, and designed to be used across lessons rather than only in behaviour incidents.

St Andrew’s also presents itself as a school that wants learning to feel broad and practical. It talks openly about the role of parents and a fundraising association in supporting equipment and events, which usually matters more in smaller primaries where extras can noticeably shape what pupils experience term to term.

In 2024, 86.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 22.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading (107) and maths (106) scaled scores also sit above typical England benchmarks, indicating strength beyond the combined measure.

On FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 2,741st in England for primary outcomes and 1st locally in the Shaftesbury area. This places the school above England average, and comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England.

If you are comparing several nearby primaries, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool is the quickest way to see how these KS2 measures stack up side by side, using consistent definitions.

A key practical feature here is how the curriculum is built for mixed-age teaching. The school uses a two-year rolling programme in several subjects, which helps avoid repetition while still revisiting core knowledge, something that matters in small primaries where classes often span two year groups.

Forest School is not described as an occasional enrichment day, it is framed as a planned programme with regular sessions, starting with weekly provision for Reception and Year 1, with an ambition to extend over time. The Forest School page also references an on-site woodland area next to the early years outdoor space, and names a specific practitioner in training for Level 3 Forest School (Amanda Cossins), which is a good indicator that the school is treating outdoor learning as a professional discipline rather than a casual add-on.

Religious Education is detailed in unusual depth for a primary website. It explicitly references the Understanding Christianity resource, supported by Discovering RE for other world faiths, including Hinduism and Judaism. For parents, the implication is that RE is likely to be taught with more structure and subject knowledge than the minimal statutory approach some primaries take, while still keeping a Christian frame.

Most pupils will move on to local state secondary provision at age 11. For many families in the area, Shaftesbury School is the default comprehensive option for students living in its catchment, and it sets that expectation clearly in its admissions information.

Because Dorset uses defined catchment areas for many schools, it is worth checking your exact address against the local authority’s catchment tool before making assumptions about secondary transfer. Dorset Council provides a catchment lookup as part of its admissions guidance.

In practice, transition quality tends to come down to relationships and preparation. The most recent inspection evidence describes pupils being prepared well for the next stage of education, alongside a strong emphasis on community participation.

St Andrew’s admissions information is signposted via its website, including trust-wide admissions policies for 2026 to 2027 entry, and visits are encouraged by appointment.

For Reception entry in Dorset for September 2026, the local authority closing date is 15 January 2026, with national offer day outcomes on 16 April 2026 for on-time applications. Dorset also states that paper applications can be submitted from 1 September.

Local demand matters too. Recent entry data shows 29 applications for 17 offers, which is consistent with an oversubscribed school. For families on the boundary, that is a reminder that preference order and deadline discipline matter, and that it is wise to shortlist a realistic alternative as well.

If you are weighing up more than one school, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check practical travel distances and your likely day-to-day route, then cross-reference with the published admissions rules rather than relying on local word-of-mouth.

Safeguarding and wellbeing sit partly in culture and partly in systems. The published inspection evidence describes pupils feeling safe, knowing adults will help if they have worries, and benefitting from strengthened relationships between staff, pupils and parents.

Attendance expectations are also communicated clearly. The school’s attendance guidance emphasises punctuality and outlines follow-up procedures when a child is absent and contact cannot be made, which is often reassuring for parents of younger pupils.

For pupils who need additional support, the school signposts special educational needs information on its website, and as a trust school it will also sit within wider shared services and expertise, although the detail that matters most will be your child’s individual plan and who will deliver it day to day.

In smaller primaries, enrichment can be the difference between a good education and a memorable one. St Andrew’s describes Forest School as a structured programme with regular sessions and a clear skills focus, including supported risk and building independence through outdoor learning.

Sport is also presented as more than weekly PE. The school references a spread of active clubs, and a “young leaders” approach for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, which is a practical way to build confidence and responsibility through sport and play leadership.

There is also evidence of wider community-facing activity. The inspection report references pupils supporting local events such as a village fête and charity coffee morning, which is a strong fit for families who want their child’s primary years to feel connected to the local area rather than purely classroom-based.

The published school day includes an 08:30 arrival window, a 15:15 finish, and a 32.5-hour school week, with collective worship scheduled late afternoon.

Wraparound matters for working families. The school advertises an after-school club running every afternoon with bookable sessions, but families should check current availability and booking arrangements directly as these can change year to year.

For travel, Fontmell Magna is served by local bus routes that run through the village towards Shaftesbury and Blandford, and Dorset Council notes Gillingham as the nearest train station in nearby area guidance.

• Small roll dynamics. A smaller pupil roll can mean more individual attention and a family feel, but it can also mean fewer friendship options in a single year group, which matters for some children.

• Faith character is real. Collective worship is built into the timetable and RE is framed explicitly through a Christian lens, with the school also teaching other world faiths. Families should be comfortable with that tone.

• Competition for places. The school is described as oversubscribed in recent entry data, so deadlines and admissions criteria matter.

• Outdoor learning expectations. Forest School is positioned as a regular, structured programme, which many children love, but not every child enjoys mud, weather, and outdoor routines in the same way.

St Andrew’s suits families who want a village primary with a clear Church of England identity, strong KS2 attainment, and a curriculum that makes practical use of the outdoors and the local environment. It is a good fit for children who enjoy structured routines, community life, and learning beyond the classroom. The main challenge for some families will be admissions competition, and making sure the faith character aligns with what you want day to day.