Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney
Litton Cheney, Dorchester, DT2 9AUOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney is a primary school in Dorchester for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 1st of 7 primary schools in Dorchester. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 24 September 2024, report published 21 October 2024
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
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 24 September 2024
Everyone is proud to belong to this small, rural school. Relationships are warm and positive, which means pupils feel nurtured and safe. There are growing numbers of pupils at the school and yet parents and carers, pupils and staff continue to value the close-knit, family feel. The values of the school underpin daily life. Pupils have a strong moral code. They help to create their class charters at the start of each year. This develops younger pupils' understanding of right and wrong. For older pupils, they begin to understand the concepts of rights and responsibilities. The charters help with a shared understanding of expectations. However, adults do not always have high enough expectations for pupils in some younger classes. Sometimes, low-level disruption affects learning, which is not addressed robustly enough. Pupils have plenty of planned experiences to learn about life beyond their rural context. They enjoy a range of enrichment trips and visitors, which bring the curriculum to life. The school is very much part of the village community. Pupils enjoy taking part in local events. They are hugely proud of their contribution to the solar panel projects in the school and village. Their involvement has given them a sense of achievement and collaboration.
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, the knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn is not identified precisely or fluently enough across the age range of the school. Consequently, learning is not always focused on the specific knowledge that pupils need to secure, which affects the usefulness of assessment. The school needs to identify, and sequence, the specific knowledge it wants pupils to learn from pre-school to Year 6, in these subjects.
- The curriculum and provision in the early years is not ambitious enough. As a result, children experience a series of activities and experiences without a focus on the knowledge children need to build. The school must ensure that all early years staff are supported to understand the knowledge children need to learn and how to provide this. This is so children build the cumulative knowledge they need for key stage 1.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
15 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
115 pupils on roll, with places for 105
Schools near Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 64% met the expected standard |
| Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 50% met the expected standard |
| Loders CofE Primary Academy | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 50% met the expected standard |
| Winterbourne Valley Church of England Aided First School | 4 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Not published |
| Portesham Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 38% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Michael Sitch
- Phone
- 01308482410
- Address
- Litton Cheney, Dorchester, DT2 9AU
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 113804
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.