Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
School Hill, Powerstock, Bridport, DT6 3TBOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school in Bridport for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 9th of 10 primary schools in Bridport. Its latest Ofsted rating is Requires improvement, from an inspection in February 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 6 February 2024, report published 17 March 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years provision
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 6 February 2024
The new headteacher and governors have prioritised curriculum development. They are ambitious and want the best for pupils. Recent steps have been made to improve the curriculum. However, it is still early days and the current curriculum does not yet match their ambition. As a result, too many pupils progress through the school without securing the essential knowledge they need to know. Parents are supportive of the school. They appreciate the way the school focuses on developing the whole child. This means pupils develop positive relationships with staff. As a result, pupils are happy and say they feel safe in school. Pupils have a trusted adult to speak to if they have any concerns. Pupils appreciate opportunities to develop their skills beyond the academic, such as learning to play an instrument or to rock climb. These activities help pupils to build self-confidence. Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values. They learn about democracy by voting for peers to represent them in the school council. Regular assemblies provide an opportunity for pupils to learn about beliefs and spirituality. Pupils understand the importance of keeping healthy, both in body and in mind.
What the school should improve
- The curriculum for early reading and phonics does not meet the needs of the pupils. Books are not consistently well matched to pupils' phonics knowledge and the teaching of phonics does not enable pupils to catch up quickly. As a result, too many pupils have gaps in their phonics knowledge. The school must ensure that it implements a well-planned and sequenced phonics curriculum.
- The school's curriculum, in some subjects, is not clearly sequenced or strategically planned, including in the early years. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, do not build secure knowledge over time. The school needs to be systematic in its approach to developing the curriculum. It needs to ensure that all subjects have a clear progression of knowledge so that pupils know more and remember more.
- Assessment is inconsistent across the curriculum and teaching does not always adapt learning accordingly. As a result, pupils do not remember as much as they could. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively to understand what pupils know and remember over time.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
8 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
33 pupils on roll, with places for 70
Schools near Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loders CofE Primary Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 50% met the expected standard |
| Bridport Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 50% met the expected standard |
| St Catherine's Roman Catholic School | 3 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 30% met the expected standard |
| Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
| Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 52% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Crew
- Phone
- 01308485380
- Address
- School Hill, Powerstock, Bridport, DT6 3TB
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 113812
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.