School Chooser

St Martin's CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyChurch of England141 pupilsSalisburyWiltshire
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 6
Out of 100. Better than 4% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedInadequateLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1147%England 63%
Attendance93.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families29%About the same as most schools in England
Places69 spare141 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher12.4School workforce census

St Martin's CofE Primary School is a sponsored academy in Salisbury for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 141 pupils and room for 210. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inadequate, back in 2023.

Shady Bower, Salisbury, SP1 2RG01722 554300stmartins.dsat.org.ukMr Oliver Martindale headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 January 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Inadequate overall.

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

Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

19 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 1147%
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 score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 31%31%20172018: 33%33%20182019: 50%50%20192023: 14%14%20232024: 21%21%20242025: 47%47%2025
Since 2017: +16%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†WiltshireEngland
Pupils tested192828222713
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths47%21%14%50%33%31%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%4%0%0%4%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.097.0100.099.098.0100.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.099.095.0100.098.0105.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0100.096.0101.097.0101.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard74%39%32%59%44%46%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%43%21%55%48%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%25%36%68%63%62%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.7-0.5-3.3-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.6-1.5-1.2+4.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%18%0%40%36%14%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged46%24%25%58%31%50%

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 St Martin's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
50%46%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
55%38%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
56%47%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

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 places133 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
63% full

77 places were empty (37% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 880 m away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 880 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3075880 mLA

What a home within 880 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 880 m of the school£275,000half sold for £200k to £350k
Homes sold280December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-14%a typical home in the district sells for £320,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll141Census January 2026
Places21067% full
Pupils from low-income families27%29% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English60%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%26 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.08 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)29%£58,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls79 / 62
White British pupils35%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 15.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (8), Specific learning difficulty (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5), language and communications needs (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Physical disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024
Pupils on roll141132136
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals27%28%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language60%58%59%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school19.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.9%6.7%7.4%7.8%5.0%7.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.9%2.3%4.6%5.0%3.5%4.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.1%4.3%2.8%2.8%1.4%2.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence19.7%20.7%25.2%26.3%18.1%25.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00

† These attendance figures are for St Martin's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.0full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher12.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,967
Teachers who left in the year19%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.42024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£8,356England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£8,273England £7,587. Total £1.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,008England £3,405
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £144k, £1,094 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£11kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,356spent 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 m27712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate126 per 1,000 people38% higher than the England average
Typical house price£320,000Wiltshire
Nearest bus stop30 mSt Martins Primary School, 20 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
Five Rivers Online SchoolOnline provider810 mNot inspectedCompare
St Osmund's Catholic Primary School, SalisburyRoman Catholic920 m209Good 202490Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, LaverstockAcademy0.9 miles186Not inspectedCompare
St Mark's CofE Junior School, SalisburyAcademy1.0 miles346Good 202075Compare
Wyndham Park Infants' SchoolAcademy1.0 miles227No overall grade 20252Compare
Longford Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles42Requires improvement 20230Compare
Harnham Church of England Controlled Junior SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles265Report card 202615Compare
Harnham Infants' SchoolCouncil1.1 miles215Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Martin's CofE Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats4%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 2 is 48 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 49 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% 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 6. 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
-0.10
2025 results; 19 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well below
-0.66
Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.32
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 19 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.11
2024/25; 127 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 19 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 St Martin's CofE Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Martin's CofE Primary School scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 6, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Martin's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Martin's CofE Primary School inadequate at its last full inspection on 17 January 2023.

How good are St Martin's CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 47% 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 St Martin's CofE Primary School have?

141 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 67% full.

Is St Martin's CofE Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 880 m away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at St Martin's CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Martin's CofE Primary School?

The average class had 17.0 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
Shady Bower, Salisbury, SP1 2RG
Telephone
01722 554300
Website
www.stmartins.dsat.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Oliver Martindale
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Salisbury
Multi-academy trust
Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust (28 schools)
Local authority
Wiltshire
Ward
Salisbury Milford
Constituency
Salisbury
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2024 (new provision)
URN
150284 · LAESTAB 8652062 · UKPRN 10093660
Formerly
St Martin's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School

Where these figures come from