The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury
Primary · Voluntary aided school · Ages 4–11 · Shaftesbury, Dorset
The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury is a primary school in Shaftesbury, Dorset for ages 4–11 (voluntary aided school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is School remains Good, from the inspection on 7 December 2022. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2015 to 2025 entry.
Open on the map Unlock with a pass · £9.99
Key facts
- Address
- St James's Street, St James St, Shaftesbury, SP7 8HQ
- Type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4–11
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 201 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 16.9% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 20.2
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
School remains Good Inspected 7 December 2022
Strengths
- “Children get off to a great start in Reception.”
- “Across the school, pupils usually get along well together and enjoy school.”
- “If bullying happens, staff deal with it.”
To improve
- “However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is less well refined.”
- “This means that pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge they could, for example, in French.”
- “However, leaders do not consider the implications of some of their decision-making about when staff assess pupils and what action staff take as a result.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 27 January 2023 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 62% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 28 first-preference applications, 29 offers in total, 28 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Last distance offered and catchment
A one-off £9.99 pass, no subscription, unlocks for 3 months:
- Last distance offered for Reception 2015 to 2025, as Dorset published it, drawn on the map
- The council’s catchment or priority area for this school on the map
- Earlier years of applications and offers
- Earlier years of exam results
- Which schools pupils move on to or come from
- Crime, sold prices, broadband and transport around the school
A last distance offered describes one past year and is not a catchment or a promise of a place. Check with the council before you apply.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Dorset.
- Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School 1.0 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Motcombe CofE Primary School 1.8 mi Good Last distance published
- St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School 3.1 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Stower Provost Community School 3.4 mi Not judged
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School 3.6 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Gillingham Primary School 4.0 mi No Ofsted grade
- Wyke Primary School 4.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull 4.9 mi Good