Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Primary · Voluntary controlled school · Ages 3–9 · Dorchester, Dorset
Last distance offered · Reception 2022
9.323 miles
Published by Dorset Council · offers on 19 April 2022
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is a primary school in Dorchester, Dorset for ages 3–9 (voluntary controlled school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 12 July 2023. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2022 entry.
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2022 | 9.323 mi |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The Reception 2022 last distance offered, 9.323 miles, was the longest of the 8 Dorset primary schools with a published Reception 2022 last distance (middle figure 2.56 miles).
- For Reception 2026 there were 16 first-choice applications for 16 offers, and every first-choice family was offered a place.
- Some 5.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 19.3% across the 8 nearest primary schools in Dorset.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Dorset schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Duck Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, DT2 7LA
- Type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–9
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 77 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 5.2% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.6
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 12 July 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils at Cerne Abbas First school are happy and safe.”
- “They enjoy coming to school and most have high attendance.”
- “Parents speak of the ‘warm, friendly and approachable’ staff and atmosphere.”
To improve
- “However, pupils’ written work is not always of high quality.”
- “It does not show well what pupils know and can do.”
- “However, sometimes the activities that pupils complete do not deepen their understanding sufficiently.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 26 September 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 16 first-preference applications, 16 offers in total, 16 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Dorset.
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School 2.9 mi Good Last distance published
- Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School 3.1 mi No Ofsted grade
- Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School 4.8 mi Good Last distance published
- St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 5.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School 5.8 mi Not judged
- Cheselbourne Village School 6.0 mi School remains Good
- Damers First School 6.5 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Hazelbury Bryan Primary School 7.0 mi Good Last distance published