St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas

Primary
Academy
Ages 4 to 11

Report card: Needs attention to expected standard

Mill Lane, Sherborne, DT9 6RHOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas is a primary school in Sherborne for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 6th of 6 primary schools in Sherborne. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in May 2026.

Ofsted report card

Inspected 6 May 2026, report published 18 June 2026

Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.

Inclusion: Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention
Achievement: Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Early years: Expected standard
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

16 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths44%

44%, 18 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score100

100, 6 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

90 pupils on roll, with places for 119

Eligible for free school meals10%

10%, 16.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0%

0%, 21.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support26.7%

26.7%, 11.9 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.3%

3.3%, 2.7 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
Thornford CofE Primary School	1 mile	Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding	53% met the expected standard
Barwick and Stoford Community Primary School	2 miles	Ofsted: Requires improvement	9% met the expected standard
Pen Mill Infant and Nursery Academy	2 miles	Ofsted: Requires improvement	Not published
Reckleford Infant School and Nursery	2 miles	Ofsted: Good	Not published
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School	2 miles	Report card: Needs attention to expected standard	31% met the expected standard

School details

School type: Academy converter
Sector: Academy
Trust: SHERBORNE AREA SCHOOLS' TRUST
Age range: 4 to 11
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery classes: No
Headteacher: Mr Ian Bartle
Phone: 01935476515
Website: bradfordabbas.dorset.sch.uk (opens in a new tab)
Address: Mill Lane, Sherborne, DT9 6RH
Local authority: Dorset
URN: 144299

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.