Sopley Primary School
South Ripley, Bransgore, Christchurch, BH23 8ETOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Sopley Primary School is a primary school in Christchurch for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 600 schools in Hampshire. It ranks 9th of 10 primary schools in Christchurch. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2013.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 28 November 2013, report published 20 December 2013
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 February 2024
The staff have created a real sense of community in this caring school. Pupils show kindness and respect towards one another and adults. Older pupils look after younger ones at different times in the school day, acting as their 'buddy'. This helps pupils to feel safe. Staff are ambitious for what pupils can do, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils have considerable knowledge across a range of subjects. This is helped by the wider offer that includes carefully planned visitors and trips that enhance what pupils learn in different curriculum areas. The school encourages pupils to develop their sense of responsibility. Staff provide pupils with a range of purposeful leadership opportunities, for example being an 'information technology monitor'. These roles enable pupils to develop their organisational skills. Pupils behave well and enjoy learning. They and their parents and carers appreciate the strong support that they receive from the staff with their work, their emotions and any worries that they may have. One parent reflected the views of others by saying: 'My child thrives here.'
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, the school has not established robust systems of assessment that check what pupils know. As a result, pupils' learning is not always moved forwards quickly enough. The school needs to ensure that there is effective assessment across all subjects so that staff understand what pupils know, adjusting subsequent teaching accordingly.
- In a very small number of subjects, pupils have not learned the essential knowledge that they need sufficiently securely. This means they are not able to draw on their prior learning and achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that pupils are secure in the important knowledge set out in the curriculum.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
13 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
71 pupils on roll, with places for 118
Schools near Sopley Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bransgore Church of England Primary School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard | 70% met the expected standard |
| Burton Church of England Primary School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 53% met the expected standard |
| Twynham Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 82% met the expected standard |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 74% met the expected standard |
| Christchurch Infant School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Mathew Bowen
- Phone
- 01425672343
- Address
- South Ripley, Bransgore, Christchurch, BH23 8ET
- Local authority
- Hampshire
- URN
- 115948
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.