William Barnes Primary School
Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1BZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
William Barnes Primary School is a primary school in Sturminster Newton for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 179 schools in Dorset. It ranks 34th of 88 primary schools in Dorset. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in July 2013.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 3 July 2013, report published 25 July 2013
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 21 February 2023
The school's motto of 'every child counts' is believed by all. Pupils are treated as individuals in a happy and inclusive culture. They enjoy attending school and feel safe and well cared for. Families are full of praise for the school, and one parent summed up the views of many when they said, 'William Barnes treats each child as a unique individual and seeks to create an environment that is safe and stimulating for my child.' Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils understand the school's code of conduct and behave well. They work hard in their lessons and are motivated to earn house points. Pupils build strong relationships, based on mutual respect. They get on well with each other. For example, Year 6 'playtime buddies' help younger children with their lunch and with playing games on the playground. Pupils know that bullying is not tolerated and that adults would sort out any issues straight away. Pupils enjoy their many leadership roles across the school. These include eco-warriors, sports ambassadors and house captains. Pupils appreciate the voice they have across the school. Members of the school council are particularly proud of their plans for fundraising, with the introduction of a healthy snack trolley.
What the school should improve
- Safeguarding records do not always reflect staff's diligent approach to applying the school's procedures. This means that leaders do not always have clear enough oversight of safeguarding actions and records. Leaders need to check the effectiveness of the school's safeguarding procedures by ensuring record-keeping is well maintained and up to date.
- Teaching staff are not consistent in the way that they support pupils with their reading. This means that some pupils do not make progress with their reading as quickly as they could. Leaders should ensure that all staff are well trained in delivering the agreed phonics programme in order to support all pupils to read fluently.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
31 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
162 pupils on roll, with places for 210
Schools near William Barnes Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Gregory's Church of England Primary School, Marnhull | 3 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 50% met the expected standard |
| St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford | 3 miles | Report card: Urgent improvement to expected standard | 43% met the expected standard |
| Shillingstone Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| Hazelbury Bryan Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Ms Fiona Locke
- Phone
- 01258472257
- Address
- Bridge Street, Sturminster Newton, DT10 1BZ
- Local authority
- Dorset
- URN
- 113676
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.