School Chooser

Broadmayne First School and Nursery

Primary · ages 2-9MixedCouncil139 pupilsNurseryDorchesterDorset
School Chooser Score
39
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 17 to 68, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Attendance94.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places11 spare139 pupils, 150 places
Pupils per teacher19.6School workforce census
Pupils on roll139Census January 2026

Broadmayne First School and Nursery is a council school in Dorchester for boys and girls aged 2 to 9. It has 139 pupils and room for 150. About 6 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 39 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Knighton Lane, Broadmayne, Dorchester, DT2 8PH01305 852471broadmayne.dorset.sch.ukHeadteacher Kirsty Jordan-Gill headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 March 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full149 pupils for 150 places, 2024/25
99% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

How places were given out for September 2021. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child chosen by how close to the school they lived, but the council didn't publish how far away that was.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2021 Primary30294330over 25 milesLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll139Census January 2026
Places15093% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%13 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)6%£13,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls72 / 67
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (7), language and communications needs (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Other difficulty or disability (2), Hearing impairment (1), Moderate learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll139148133136138140
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%9%10%11%9%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%3%2%2%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support5%15%15%7%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%2%1%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%5.1%7.7%7.5%2.9%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.1%6.6%6.5%2.3%4.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.1%1.1%1.0%0.6%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.8%11.0%18.8%15.9%5.9%8.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.03.03.70.01.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.1full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher19.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,049
Teachers who left in the year28%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,617England £7,738. Total £979k
Income per pupil£6,434England £7,697. Total £952k
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,839England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £84k, £570 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£27kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,617spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate30 per 1,000 people67% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Dorset
Nearest bus stop80 mBroadmayne First School South, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Frome Valley CofE First SchoolAcademy2.3 miles141No overall grade 20255Compare
Manor Park Church of England First SchoolAcademy2.6 miles396Report card 202669Compare
St Osmund's Church of England Middle SchoolAcademy2.7 miles714Good 202255Compare
St Mary's Catholic First School, DorchesterAcademy2.8 miles177Good 202342Compare
Dorchester Middle SchoolAcademy3.5 miles527Report card 202620Compare
The Prince of Wales SchoolCouncil3.6 miles156No overall grade 202555Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.7 miles225Good 202024Compare
Bincombe Valley Primary SchoolCouncil4.1 miles291Report card 202610Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Broadmayne First School and Nursery with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 39 is 38 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 77 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 39 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 39% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 68. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.15
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 123 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Broadmayne First School and Nursery a good school?

It is about average. Broadmayne First School and Nursery scores 39 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 17 to 68, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Broadmayne First School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Broadmayne First School and Nursery good at its last full inspection on 22 March 2023.

How many pupils does Broadmayne First School and Nursery have?

139 pupils aged 2 to 9 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 150 places, so it is 93% full.

Is Broadmayne First School and Nursery oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Broadmayne First School and Nursery?

Pupils were in school 94.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Broadmayne First School and Nursery?

The average class had 27.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Knighton Lane, Broadmayne, Dorchester, DT2 8PH
Telephone
01305 852471
Website
www.broadmayne.dorset.sch.uk
Headteacher
Headteacher Kirsty Jordan-Gill
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-9, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Dorset
Ward
Winterborne & Broadmayne
Constituency
West Dorset
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
113661 · LAESTAB 8382005 · UKPRN 10068709

Where these figures come from