Frome Valley CofE First School
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 2–9 · Dorchester, Dorset
Last distance offered · Reception 2020
1.917 miles
Published by Dorset Council · offers on 16 April 2020
2017 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Frome Valley CofE First School is a primary school in Dorchester, Dorset for ages 2–9 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 14 January 2025. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2017 to 2020 entry.
Frome Valley CofE 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 2020 | 1.917 mi |
| Reception 2017 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The last Reception 2020 place went to a child living 1.917 miles from the school, further away than in 2017.
- For Reception 2020, that was the shortest of the 5 Dorset primary schools with a published Reception 2020 last distance; the middle figure was 4.03 miles.
- For 2026 Reception entry there were 16 first-choice applications for 16 offers, and every first-choice family was offered a place.
- Free school meal eligibility is 18.4% of pupils, compared with a middle figure of 13.6% 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
- School Drive, Crossways, Dorchester, DT2 8WR
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2–9
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 141 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 18.4% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 22.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 14 January 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils enjoy attending this school.”
- “This helps pupils to be happy and secure.”
- “New leaders are ambitious for the school.”
To improve
- “Nevertheless, the quality of education they receive requires improvement.”
- “Pupils sometimes complete work that does not help them to learn well.”
- “Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not receive the right adaptations they need for learning.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 12 February 2025 (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.
- Broadmayne First School and Nursery 2.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Puddletown Church of England First School 3.2 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Bovington Academy 3.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Manor Park Church of England First School 4.2 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 4.3 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 4.9 mi Requires improvement Last distance published
- Wool Church of England Primary School 5.2 mi Good Last distance published
- The Prince of Wales School 5.3 mi Not judged Last distance published