Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
Duck Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorchester, DT2 7LA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Catherine Cresswell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 75
- Pupils on roll
- 77
- URN
- 113759
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01300341319
About this school
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Dorchester. It teaches children aged 3 to 9 and has 77 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 73 |
| 2023/24 | 77 |
| 2024/25 | 81 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 97% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.2% | 10.3% | 77 | — |
| Piddle Valley Church of England First School | — | 17.1% | 20.5% | 40 | 2.9 miles |
| Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School | 71% | 4.4% | 14.7% | 110 | 3.1 miles |
| Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School | 63% | 7.1% | 24.3% | 137 | 4.8 miles |
| St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | — | 4.1% | 6.7% | 148 | 5.4 miles |
| Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 53% | 5.4% | 13.1% | 70 | 5.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 10.29%
- English as an additional language
- 1.2%
- Overall absence
- 3.17%
- Persistent absence
- 3.45%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Piddle Valley Church of England First School2.9 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School3.1 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School4.8 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster5.4 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School5.8 miles
Primary · Dorchester
Other schools in Dorchester
- Broadmayne First School Primary
- Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Cheselbourne Village School Primary
- Damers First School Primary
- Frome Valley CofE First School Primary
- Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Primary
- Manor Park Church of England First School Primary
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School Primary
- Puddletown Church of England First School Primary
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Primary
- St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Primary
- Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School teach?
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School teaches children aged 3 to 9. It is a primary school in Dorchester.
- Who is the headteacher of Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
- The headteacher of Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is Mrs Catherine Cresswell, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School?
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School has 77 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 9.
- Is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School full?
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School has capacity for 75 pupils and 77 on roll (103%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School a faith school?
- Yes. Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School as having nursery classes.
- What is Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's absence rate?
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School's overall absence rate is 3.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.