St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 2–9 · Ferndown, Dorset
St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery is a primary school in Ferndown, Dorset for ages 2–9 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 23 April 2025. Dorset has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2019 to 2026 entry.
Open on the map Unlock with a pass · £9.99
Key facts
- Address
- Station Road, West Moors, Ferndown, BH22 0JF
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2–9
- Sector
- See recorded establishment type
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Council
- Dorset
- Pupils on roll
- 148 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 16.2% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 28.2
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 23 April 2025
Strengths
- “Warm relationships underpin everything that happens in this welcoming school.”
- “Staff take the time to get to know pupils.”
- “This helps pupils to feel comfortable to share any worries.”
To improve
- “However, in some subjects, including mathematics, there are inconsistencies in how well misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified and addressed.”
- “This can affect the depth of pupils’ knowledge in these subjects.”
- “Furthermore, in some other subjects, gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum have not been addressed fully.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 20 May 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 32 first-preference applications, 29 offers in total, 29 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 2019 to 2026, 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
- 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.
- Oakhurst Community First School 0.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School 1.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Ferndown First School 1.9 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Parley First School 2.5 mi Good Last distance published
- St Ives Primary & Nursery School 2.9 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Verwood Church of England First School 3.0 mi Good Last distance published
- Colehill First School 3.1 mi Good Last distance published
- Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School 3.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published