The Priory Church of England Primary School
Wick Lane, Christchurch, BH23 1HX
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Croutear
- Diocese
- Diocese of Winchester
- Constituency
- Christchurch
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 198
- URN
- 113847
- Local authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01202484105
About this school
The Priory Church of England Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Christchurch. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 198 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
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 73% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 13% | 3% |
| Expected standard in reading | 77% | 90% | 79% |
| Expected standard in maths | 77% | 80% | 66% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 77% | 83% | 59% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 106.0 | 102.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -3.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.20 | - | - |
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 The Priory Church of England 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 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67% | 56.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 73% | 58.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 62% | 59% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 210 |
| 2023/24 | 204 |
| 2024/25 | 203 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The Priory Church of England Primary School compares
The Priory Church of England Primary School ranked 30th of 52 primary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 45% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 32% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 62% | 6.4% | 10.3% | 198 | — |
| St Katharine's Church of England Primary School | 78% | 3.9% | 5.5% | 435 | 0.6 miles |
| Christchurch Infant School | — | 5% | 11.2% | 285 | 0.6 miles |
| Christchurch Junior School | 70% | 4.5% | 16.3% | 479 | 0.6 miles |
| Mudeford Community Infants' School | — | 3.8% | 13.8% | 176 | 0.9 miles |
| Somerford Primary School | 41% | 6.5% | 49.7% | 169 | 1.1 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)
- 10.34%
- English as an additional language
- 3.4%
- Overall absence
- 6.4%
- Persistent absence
- 12.78%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Katharine's Church of England Primary School0.6 miles
Primary · Bournemouth
-
Christchurch Infant School0.6 miles
Primary · Christchurch
-
Christchurch Junior School0.6 miles
Primary · Christchurch
-
Mudeford Community Infants' School0.9 miles
Primary · Christchurch
-
Somerford Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Christchurch
Other schools in Christchurch
The Priory Church of England Primary School ranks 6th of the 10 ranked primary schools in Christchurch.
- Bransgore Church of England Primary School Primary
- Burton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Christchurch Infant School Primary
- Christchurch Junior School Primary
- Highcliffe St Mark Primary School Primary
- Mudeford Community Infants' School Primary
- Mudeford Junior School Primary
- Somerford Primary School Primary
- Sopley Primary School Primary
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch Primary
- Twynham Primary School Primary
- Highcliffe School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does The Priory Church of England Primary School teach?
- The Priory Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Christchurch.
- Who is the headteacher of The Priory Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of The Priory Church of England Primary School is Mr Simon Croutear, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was The Priory Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Priory Church of England 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 The Priory Church of England Primary School?
- The Priory Church of England Primary School has 198 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is The Priory Church of England Primary School full?
- The Priory Church of England Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 198 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 The Priory Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. The Priory Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Winchester.
- Does The Priory Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records The Priory Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have The Priory Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 62% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does The Priory Church of England Primary School rank locally?
- The Priory Church of England Primary School ranked 30th of 52 primary schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 45% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 32% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is The Priory Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- The Priory Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.4% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The Priory Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Priory Church of England 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.