School Chooser

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England49 pupilsSomerset
School Chooser Score
4
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 14
Out of 100. Better than 9% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2023
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places8 spare49 pupils, 57 places
Pupils per teacher15.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll49Census January 2026

Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School is a converter academy in Sherborne for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 49 pupils and room for 57. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 4 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Charlton Horethorne, Sherborne, DT9 4NL01963 220345charltonhorethorne.somerset.sch.ukMrs Sara Watkins headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 July 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

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

3 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2024
2017: 70%70%20172018: 33%33%20182019: 38%38%20192023: 56%56%20232024: 25%25%2024
Since 2017: -45%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†SomersetEngland
Pupils tested31298610
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths25%56%38%33%70%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%11%0%0%10%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0101.0103.0109.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0101.097.098.0107.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0103.097.099.0109.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard58%89%63%83%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard25%56%38%50%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)58%78%63%50%80%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.7+1.5+2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-6.0-2.8+0.9
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged70%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places42 pupils for 57 places, 2024/25
74% full

15 places were empty (26% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Somerset council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll49Census January 2026
Places5786% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%7 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size16.33 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)8%£6,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls27 / 22
White British pupils90%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (4), emotional and mental health (3), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll494249544754
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%14%12%11%6%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%2%2%0%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%18%11%13%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school18.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%6.9%4.3%4.7%2.0%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%6.0%3.5%4.1%1.8%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%0.9%0.8%0.6%0.3%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence18.4%19.1%8.9%0.0%2.1%1.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff

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

Teachers3.1full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher15.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,760
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.02023/24

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate85 per 1,000 people7% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop230 mKings Arms, 1 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
Horsington Church SchoolAcademy2.3 miles93Not inspected14Compare
Milborne Port Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles169Good 2024Compare
Abbas and Templecombe Church SchoolAcademy2.8 miles109Not inspected72Compare
North Cadbury Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.4 miles100Good 202386Compare
Sherborne Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles304Report card 20269Compare
St Nicholas CofE Primary School, HenstridgeAcademy4.1 miles92No overall grade 20253Compare
Countess Gytha Primary SchoolAcademy4.4 miles184Good 202391Compare
Wincanton Primary SchoolCouncil4.5 miles388Good 202033Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School 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.

Beats9%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 4 is 43 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 47 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 4 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 4% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 14. 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 years25%below
-0.22
2024 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.50
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.15
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 38 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.25
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 pupils
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 Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School scores 4 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 14, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 11 July 2023.

How many pupils does Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School have?

49 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 57 places, so it is 86% full.

Is Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 15 places were empty in 2024/25 (26% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 16.3 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
Charlton Horethorne, Sherborne, DT9 4NL
Telephone
01963 220345
Website
www.charltonhorethorne.somerset.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sara Watkins
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Bath and Wells
Multi-academy trust
Sherborne Area Schools' Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Somerset
Ward
Blackmoor Vale
Constituency
Glastonbury and Somerton
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2019 (academy converter)
URN
146896 · LAESTAB 9335202 · UKPRN 10082938
Formerly
Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School

Where these figures come from