School Chooser

Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England33 pupils Free breakfast clubBridportDorset
School Chooser Score
12
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 44, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
Places37 spare33 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher8.7School workforce census

Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Bridport for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 33 pupils and room for 70. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.

School Hill, Powerstock, Bridport, DT6 3TB01308 485380powerstock.dorset.sch.ukMrs Lisa Crew head teacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 6 February 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Requires improvement overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

8 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 1150%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score100.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score98.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 30%30%20172018: 13%13%20182023: 50%50%20232024: 75%75%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: +20%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017DorsetEngland
Pupils tested88125810
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%75%50%13%30%57%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%8%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score100.0109.0106.0103.0104.0104.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score98.0105.0104.0102.099.0103.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0110.0105.0100.0100.0104.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%88%75%63%60%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%75%50%50%50%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)50%75%67%13%50%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.2-2.3+2.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.4-3.2-2.4

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.

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 places40 pupils for 70 places, 2024/25
57% full

30 places were empty (43% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 35% 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 Dorset 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 roll33Census January 2026
Places7047% full
Pupils from low-income families12%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%9 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan18%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size11.03 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)3%£1,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls17 / 16
White British pupils88%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (10), language and communications needs (4), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll333957626054
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%5%12%13%10%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support28%35%37%32%28%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans13%5%2%2%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%6.3%8.6%8.2%4.8%6.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.4%6.1%7.2%4.6%4.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%1.9%2.6%1.0%0.2%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.5%12.0%27.1%21.2%15.2%18.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.01.60.01.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.8full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher8.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,998
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.02023/24

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£13,171England £7,738. Total £514k
Income per pupil£13,932England £7,697. Total £543k
Spent on teachers per pupil£7,066England £3,480
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £71k, £1,831 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£30kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£13,171spent 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

Local crime rate32 per 1,000 people65% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Dorset
Nearest bus stop80 mThe School, 2 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
Loders CofE Primary AcademyAcademy1.8 miles72Not inspected19Compare
Bridport Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles267Good 202340Compare
St Catherine's Roman Catholic SchoolAcademy3.3 miles100Report card 20263Compare
Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles109Good 202340Compare
Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.2 miles194Good 202424Compare
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton CheneyChurch of England4.3 miles115No overall grade 202478Compare
Beaminster St Mary's AcademyAcademy4.3 miles140Good 202333Compare
Burton Bradstock Church of England Voluntary Controlled SchoolAcademy4.5 miles99Not inspected59Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided 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.

Beats17%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 12 is 23 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 35 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 44. 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 years25%in line
-0.06
2023 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.57
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.02
DfE progress measure; 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 37 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
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 Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 44, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 6 February 2024.

How good are Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

33 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 47% full.

Is Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 30 places were empty in 2024/25 (43% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.9% 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 Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

The average class had 11.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

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

Contact and details

Address
School Hill, Powerstock, Bridport, DT6 3TB
Telephone
01308 485380
Website
www.powerstock.dorset.sch.uk
Head teacher
Mrs Lisa Crew
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Salisbury
Local authority
Dorset
Ward
Eggardon
Constituency
West Dorset
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
113812 · LAESTAB 8383352 · UKPRN 10073802

Where these figures come from