Puddletown Church of England First School
Dorchester Road, Puddletown, Dorchester, DT2 8FZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Puddletown Church of England First School is a primary school in Dorchester for ages 4 to 9. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 3 June 2025, report published 8 July 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 3 June 2025
The school is ambitious for pupils to thrive. It ensures that pupils are surrounded by care and high expectations. The school focuses on making every moment count. Staff make learning interesting, and pupils contribute eagerly during lessons. Pupils rise to meet these expectations and are well prepared for their next steps. Pupils behave well and feel safe. As a result, pupils are attentive in lessons and focus on their learning. Staff know all the pupils very well, a view shared by parents who say the school is 'a warm and welcoming school where every child is valued'. There are trusting and warm relationships with staff that mean pupils know they are safe and well cared for. They trust adults to help them. They know who to speak with if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles, such as being part of the school council, where they value being able to make a difference. They feel listened to and believe they can help improve their school. This caring and respectful culture of collective responsibility helps pupils to prepare for life beyond school.
What the school should improve
- On occasion, the school does not ensure that pupils with SEND consistently have tasks which are matched to their needs and challenges. This makes it hard for some pupils to secure new learning and progress through the curriculum as well as they can. The trust should ensure that teachers have the expertise to consistently provide precise, well- matched provision for pupils with SEND so they can achieve well.
- In some subjects, teachers do not always check what pupils have understood, and lessons are not always adapted as necessary. This means that pupils are not always building their essential knowledge or remembering what they have learnt. The trust needs to ensure that teachers check the explicitly identified important content is securely in place so that all pupils build their knowledge well.
Pupil numbers and mix
134 pupils on roll, with places for 150
Schools near Puddletown Church of England First School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
| Frome Valley CofE First School | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Not published |
| Milborne St Andrew First School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Cheselbourne Village School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Broadmayne First School and Nursery | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anna Seal
- Phone
- 01305848206
- Address
- Dorchester Road, Puddletown, Dorchester, DT2 8FZ
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 141806
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.