Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School

Dorset · DT2 9LW

General information Primary School · 3-9 years Who goes here 60 pupils, 13.3% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted report card

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 25% on SEN support Behaviour 4.3% absence rate Staff 27.5% turnover Financials £8,861 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School

General Information

Address: Winterbourne Abbas, Dorchester, DT2 9LW – View on map
Phone: 01305889297
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Emma Sleightholme
Age range: 3-9 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 11 families put it first for 12 places – 9 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 9 · 2025 6 · 2026 9
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

60 pupils out of 90 places Plenty of room

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 8
% eligible for free school meals: 13.3%
Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (similar to the Dorset average)
English as an additional language: 8% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 27.5% a year (Dorset 14.7%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 0% moved to another school, 100% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, 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: 4.3%
Persistently absent pupils: 12.3%
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: 25.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 3.3%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 7 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 6 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Physical disability: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

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

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

Ofsted report card January 2026

Ofsted's new report cards grade each part of school life separately, instead of giving one overall word.

Safeguarding Met
Inclusion Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Achievement Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard
Early years Expected standard
Leadership and governance Expected standard

Before this, under the old system, Ofsted rated the school Requires improvement (2023). The report card above replaces that grade.

How Ofsted report cards work

Since November 2025, Ofsted grades each area of a school on its own five-point scale, and no longer gives a single word like “Good” or “Outstanding”. Safeguarding (keeping children safe) is simply met or not met.

Exceptional The very best practice nationally
Strong standard Above what Ofsted expects
Expected standard What Ofsted expects of every school
Needs attention Some weaknesses the school needs to fix
Urgent improvement Serious weaknesses needing urgent action

“Expected standard” is a sound result – it's what Ofsted expects a good school to do. Report cards aren't directly comparable with the old single grades, which is why we don't turn them into one.

Year 6 SATs results

Year 6 SATs results for this school haven't been added yet.

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £8,861 (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.

16th of 103 primary schools in Dorset for spending per pupil

#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

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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