St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Shaftesbury, SP7 0PF · Dorset · primary school
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14th of 79 primary schools in Dorset we can score, 119 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 5.9/10 against 3,846 of them, against 5.8/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard (RWM) 2023/24 | 80.0 · 88 | 62% | 5.39 |
| Higher standard (RWM) 2023/24 | 0.0 · 10 | 38% | 0.40 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School overview
How it's doing
In 2023/24, 80.0% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared to the national median of 63%. The proportion reaching the higher standard was 0.0%, against a national median of 6%. Its position is much the same whether compared with all schools or only those whose pupils have similar backgrounds (5.9 out of 10 against similar schools, 5.8 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 101 pupils against a stated capacity of 175. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils who do not reach the higher standard in core subjects? What does a typical day look like for a child in terms of structured learning time?
What Ofsted said about St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Overview
The inspection found that the school provides a ‘Good’ quality of education across all key judgement areas, including behaviour, personal development, and leadership. Leaders maintain ‘high expectations for all’ and foster a ‘warm and welcoming’ environment where pupils feel safe and are ‘overwhelmingly supportive’ of the school. The report highlights a ‘strong sense of community’ and effective safeguarding arrangements.
Strengths
- Staff build ‘strong professional relationships’ with pupils and parents, ensuring children feel safe and know who to talk to if they have worries.
- The curriculum is ‘broad and ambitious’, with a distinct focus on teaching strategies that help pupils learn new content clearly and confidently.
- Reading is a high priority; staff are ‘well trained to support pupils to learn to read’, resulting in pupils applying strategies to read tricky words with ‘increasing confidence and fluency’.
- Pupils are ‘polite and well mannered’, with systems like the ‘buddy’ system helping older pupils act as effective role models for younger children.
- Leaders ‘accurately identify where there is more to do and take swift action to bring about improvement’.
Areas to improve
- The writing curriculum is ‘less well developed than other subjects’, contributing to lower outcomes; the trust must ensure it is ‘fully embedded and regularly reviewed’.
- In some subjects, teachers do not check what pupils know with ‘enough rigor’, leading to gaps in knowledge; the trust must ensure checks are routine across all subjects to inform future learning.
Safeguarding
The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.
Results over time
Expected standard (reading, writing, maths), the years we hold.
| Year | Expected standard (reading, writing, maths) |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 70% |
| 2023/24 | 80% |
| England | 63% |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 14,190 state schools in England we hold a 2023/24 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2027
- Primary National Offer Day16 Apr 2027
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2028
- Primary National Offer Day17 Apr 2028
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