Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available

Sturminster Marshall First School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Nina Charman

location_onWimborne, BH21 4AY

language Visit Website phone 1258857348

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2025

groups

Students

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Demand Ratio

1.0x

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Sturminster Marshall First School is a Community school primary school in Wimborne, serving ages 4-9. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards.

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School Summary

Sturminster Marshall First School is a community school in Wimborne, Dorset, admitting pupils aged 4-9. The school has approximately 68 pupils on roll, of whom 16% are eligible for free school meals.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Requires improvement, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Requires improvement.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 15.3:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 4.4 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

17 June 2025

Inspection Report

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30 November 2022

Inspection Report

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30 June 2010

Inspection Report

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20 June 2007

Inspection Report

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21 January 2002

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2025-06-17

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Not Judged

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Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2022-11-30

S5 Inspection EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Requires improvement

2007-06-20

Section 5 RTI (Sep06 - Aug07) Historic EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

1.5%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

1.5%(1 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 68 pupils. During this period, there were 1 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 1.5%, which is above the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg
2024/25 (Spring term)	68	1	1.5%	0.8%
2024/25 (Autumn term)	68	5	7.4%	0.9%
2023/24 (Summer term)	83	5	6.0%	0.8%
2023/24 (Spring term)	84	0	0.0%	0.7%
2023/24 (Autumn term)	83	0	0.0%	0.8%
2022/23 (Summer term)	86	0	0.0%	0.7%
2022/23 (Spring term)	86	0	0.0%	0.6%
2022/23 (Autumn term)	85	0	0.0%	0.6%
2021/22 (Summer term)	99	0	0.0%	0.5%
2021/22 (Spring term)	99	0	0.0%	0.5%
2021/22 (Autumn term)	103	0	0.0%	0.5%
2020/21 (Summer term)	113	6	5.3%	0.4%
2020/21 (Spring term)	114	3	2.6%	0.1%
2020/21 (Autumn term)	116	5	4.3%	0.4%
2019/20 (Summer term)	133	1	0.8%	0.0%
2019/20 (Spring term)	133	3	2.3%	0.4%
2019/20 (Autumn term)	138	0	0.0%	0.6%
2018/19 (Summer term)	132	0	0.0%	0.4%
2018/19 (Spring term)	132	0	0.0%	0.5%
2018/19 (Autumn term)	133	1	0.8%	0.5%
2017/18 (Summer term)	128	0	0.0%	0.5%
2017/18 (Spring term)	127	3	2.4%	0.4%
2017/18 (Autumn term)	129	2	1.6%	0.5%
2016/17 (Summer term)	135	0	0.0%	0.4%
2016/17 (Spring term)	134	0	0.0%	0.4%
2016/17 (Autumn term)	132	0	0.0%	0.5%

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 4 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 4 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 3 pupils

Hearing Impairment 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

100.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

100.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

9.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree59%

agree36%

strongly disagree5%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree55%

agree45%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree36%

agree14%

strongly disagree5%

not applicable45%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree23%

agree50%

disagree9%

don't know18%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree55%

agree36%

disagree5%

don't know5%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree41%

agree41%

disagree9%

strongly disagree5%

don't know5%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree55%

agree32%

disagree5%

don't know9%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree45%

agree50%

strongly disagree5%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree68%

agree5%

disagree5%

don't know23%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes95%

no5%

Top Primary Schools in Dorset

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Primary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Primary Schools in Dorset

Bovington Academy

St Nicholas and St Laurence Church of England Primary School

Conifers Primary School

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage

Trent Young's CofE Primary School

St Ives Primary & Nursery School