Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

Dorset · TA20 4NE

General information Primary School · 2-11 years Who goes here 34 pupils, 26.9% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted: Requires improvement

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 8.8% on SEN support Behaviour 7.4% absence rate Staff 0% turnover Financials £15,705 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

General Information

Address: Chard Street, Chard, Thorncombe, TA20 4NE – View on map
Phone: 0146030535
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Sally Davies
Age range: 2-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

34 pupils out of 77 places Plenty of room

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 7
% eligible for free school meals: 26.9%
Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (less mixed than the Dorset average)
English as an additional language: 0% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 0% a year (Dorset 14.7%, typical in England 13.9%)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (one year, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Dorset: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Dorset, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 7.4%
Persistently absent pupils: 18.5%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 8.8%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 11.8%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Social, emotional and mental health: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Requires improvement 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

SATs results for this school weren't published for 2024/25 - the Department for Education withholds them when a year group is too small to report without identifying pupils.

View full Ofsted inspection report

76th of 77 primary schools in Dorset for Ofsted rating

#74St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#75St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme RegisRequires improvement
#76Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyRequires improvement
#77Wyke Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Rushcombe First SchoolOutstanding
#2St Ives Primary & Nursery SchoolOutstanding
#3All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#4Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#5Beaminster St Mary's AcademyGood
#6Bovington AcademyGood
#7Bridport Primary SchoolGood
#8Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Broadmayne First School and NurseryGood
#10Cerne Abbas CofE VC First SchoolGood
#11Cheselbourne Village SchoolGood
#12Colehill First SchoolGood
#13Conifers Primary SchoolGood
#14Corfe Castle Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#15Cranborne Church of England First SchoolGood
#16Dunbury Church of England AcademyGood
#17Ferndown First SchoolGood
#18Frome Valley CofE First SchoolGood
#19Hayeswood First SchoolGood
#20Hazelbury Bryan Primary SchoolGood
#21Henbury View First SchoolGood
#22Hillside Community First SchoolGood
#23Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community NurseryGood
#24Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary SchoolGood
#25Lytchett Matravers Primary SchoolGood
#26Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#27Milborne St Andrew First SchoolGood
#28Milldown CofE AcademyGood
#29Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#30Motcombe CofE Primary SchoolGood
#31Pamphill Church of England First SchoolGood
#32Parley First SchoolGood
#33Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#34Piddle Valley Church of England First SchoolGood
#35Puddletown Church of England First SchoolGood
#36Radipole Primary SchoolGood
#37Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#38Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#39Shillingstone Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#40Sixpenny Handley First School and NurseryGood
#41Southill Primary SchoolGood
#42Spetisbury CofE Primary SchoolGood
#43St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#44St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, WeymouthGood
#45St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton MatraversGood
#46St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, AlderholtGood
#47St John's Church of England First School, WimborneGood
#48St John's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#49St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#50St Mary's Catholic First School, DorchesterGood
#51St Mary's Catholic Primary School, MarnhullGood
#52St Mary's Catholic Primary School, SwanageGood
#53St Mary's CofE First School & NurseryGood
#54Stalbridge Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#55Stoborough Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#56Swanage Primary SchoolGood
#57Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#58The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, ShaftesburyGood
#59The Prince of Wales SchoolGood
#60Three Legged Cross First and Nursery SchoolGood
#61Verwood Church of England First SchoolGood
#62Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#63William Barnes Primary SchoolGood
#64Wimborne First School and NurseryGood
#65Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and NurseryGood
#66Witchampton Church of England First SchoolGood
#67Wool Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#68Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#69Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#70Charmouth Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#71Marshwood CofE Primary AcademyRequires improvement
#72Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#73St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, MarnhullRequires improvement
#74St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#75St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme RegisRequires improvement
#76Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyRequires improvement
#77Wyke Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £15,705 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

1st of 103 primary schools in Dorset for spending per pupil

#1Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy£15,705
#2Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£13,171
#3Marshwood CofE Primary Academy£11,275

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy£15,705
#2Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£13,171
#3Marshwood CofE Primary Academy£11,275
#4Piddle Valley Church of England First School£11,182
#5Portesham Church of England Primary School£10,667
#6Cheselbourne Village School£10,457
#7The Prince of Wales School£10,234
#8Sturminster Marshall First School£10,018
#9Milborne St Andrew First School£9,979
#10St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull£9,877
#11Wimborne St Giles Church of England First School and Nursery£9,455
#12Cranborne Church of England First School£9,153
#13Sixpenny Handley First School and Nursery£9,110
#14Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School£9,082
#15Witchampton Church of England First School£8,961
#16Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School£8,861
#17Charmouth Primary School£8,771
#18St Michael's CofE Primary School, Lyme Regis£8,699
#19Beechcroft St Paul's CofE Primary School£8,697
#20Wool Church of England Primary School£8,652
#21Gillingham Primary School£8,470
#22Stower Provost Community School£8,448
#23St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers£8,253
#24Beaminster St Mary's Academy£8,120
#25Dunbury Church of England Academy£8,115
#26Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£8,115
#27St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£7,957
#28Downlands Community School£7,923
#29Bere Regis Primary and Preschool£7,908
#30Corfe Castle Church of England Primary School£7,877
#31Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School£7,847
#32Bincombe Valley Primary School£7,760
#33Loders CofE Primary Academy£7,696
#34Swanage St Mark's Church of England Primary School£7,617
#35Bovington Academy£7,603
#36Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,454
#37Symondsbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,441
#38Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School£7,441
#39St James Church of England First School£7,392
#40St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull£7,345
#41Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,278
#42Lulworth and Winfrith CofE Primary School£7,250
#43St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery£7,221
#44Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,191
#45St Catherine's Roman Catholic School£7,178
#46St Andrew's Church of England Primary School£7,169
#47St John's Church of England Primary School£7,157
#48William Barnes Primary School£7,154
#49Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School£7,010
#50Hazelbury Bryan Primary School£6,957
#51Parley First School£6,906
#52Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery£6,890
#53Pamphill Church of England First School£6,871
#54Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School£6,838
#55Trinity Church of England First School£6,812
#56Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School£6,724
#57Chickerell Primary Academy£6,621
#58Broadmayne First School and Nursery£6,617
#59Swanage Primary School£6,574
#60St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School£6,565
#61Durweston Church of England Primary School£6,511
#62Stoborough Church of England Primary School£6,500
#63Ferndown First School£6,497
#64St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt£6,496
#65Milton-on-Stour Church of England Primary School£6,492
#66Conifers Primary School£6,457
#67Wareham St Mary Church of England Primary School£6,451
#68Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney£6,445
#69Milldown CofE Academy£6,430
#70Wyke Primary School£6,374
#71Frome Valley CofE First School£6,338
#72Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School£6,316
#73St George's Church of England School, Bourton£6,311
#74Bridport Primary School£6,240
#75Oakhurst Community First School£6,211
#76Henbury View First School£6,172
#77Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School£6,149
#78Stalbridge Church of England Primary School£6,118
#79Trent Young's CofE Primary School£6,110
#80Hayeswood First School£6,070
#81St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne£6,064
#82Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School£6,037
#83The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury£6,022
#84St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage£6,017
#85St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester£6,006
#86Wimborne First School and Nursery£5,995
#87Spetisbury CofE Primary School£5,973
#88Puddletown Church of England First School£5,919
#89Damers First School£5,895
#90Hillside Community First School£5,879
#91Southill Primary School£5,879
#92Sandford St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£5,822
#93Colehill First School£5,776
#94St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth£5,698
#95St George's Foundation Primary School£5,657
#96Lytchett Matravers Primary School£5,594
#97Verwood Church of England First School£5,478
#98Radipole Primary School£5,435
#99St Ives Primary & Nursery School£5,363
#100Manor Park Church of England First School£5,358
#101Rushcombe First School£5,073
#102St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster£4,295
#103All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£2,784

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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