Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Fairoak Way, Mosterton, Beaminster, DT8 3JQ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Smith
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 140
- Pupils on roll
- 132
- URN
- 113807
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01308868492
About this school
Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Beaminster. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 132 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. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 30 June 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 15 | 20 | 21 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 73% | 70% | 71% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 0% | 14% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% | 75% | 71% |
| Expected standard in maths | 73% | 95% | 86% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 80% | 75% | 86% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +3.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -0.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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 | Dorset average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 73% | 53.5% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 70% | 53.3% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 71% | 54.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 132 |
| 2023/24 | 134 |
| 2024/25 | 131 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School compares
Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 9th of 89 primary schools in Dorset for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 68% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 71% | 4.6% | 24.4% | 132 | — |
| Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 60% | 5.8% | 16.1% | 93 | 1.8 miles |
| Beaminster St Mary's Academy | 75% | 5.8% | 35.2% | 140 | 2.3 miles |
| Maiden Beech Academy | — | 4.8% | 20% | 102 | 2.6 miles |
| St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School | 64% | 4.3% | 31.2% | 154 | 2.7 miles |
| Ashlands Church of England Primary School | 50% | 6% | 27.1% | 141 | 3.3 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)
- 24.43%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.6%
- Persistent absence
- 12.61%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Beaminster
-
Beaminster St Mary's Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Beaminster
-
Maiden Beech Academy2.6 miles
Primary · Crewkerne
-
St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School2.7 miles
Primary · Crewkerne
-
Ashlands Church of England Primary School3.3 miles
Primary · Crewkerne
Other schools in Beaminster
- Beaminster St Mary's Academy Primary
- Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Beaminster School Secondary
- Mountjoy School Special schools
Common questions
- What year groups does Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teach?
- Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Beaminster.
- Who is the headteacher of Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- The headteacher of Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Mr Simon Smith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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 Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 132 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School full?
- Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has capacity for 140 pupils and 132 on roll (94%), so it has space against 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 Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 73% in 2022/23 and 71% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School rank locally?
- Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 9th of 89 primary schools in Dorset for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 68% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's absence rate?
- Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
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.