St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
Lucetta Lane, Dorchester, DT1 2DD
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Trust
- PLYMOUTH CAST
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Thomas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Plymouth
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Plymouth CAST
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 183
- Pupils on roll
- 177
- URN
- 140771
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01305262258
About this school
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is a Roman Catholic primary academy in Dorchester. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 177 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester, and its latest judgement is set out 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 11 January 2023, 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.
Trends over time
How St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 190 |
| 2023/24 | 182 |
| 2024/25 | 174 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester compares
Its absence rate was lower than 49% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.4% | 9.3% | 177 | — |
| Manor Park Church of England First School | — | 5.5% | 17.3% | 396 | 0.3 miles |
| The Prince of Wales School | — | 5.4% | 12.2% | 156 | 1.1 miles |
| Damers First School | — | 4.3% | 18.9% | 475 | 1.5 miles |
| St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | — | 4.1% | 6.7% | 148 | 2.1 miles |
| Broadmayne First School | — | 5.7% | 9.5% | 139 | 2.8 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)
- 9.27%
- English as an additional language
- 16.1%
- Overall absence
- 5.43%
- Persistent absence
- 10.57%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Manor Park Church of England First School0.3 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
The Prince of Wales School1.1 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Damers First School1.5 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster2.1 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Broadmayne First School2.8 miles
Primary · Dorchester
Other schools in Dorchester
- Broadmayne First School Primary
- Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First 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 Church of England First School, Charminster Primary
- Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester teach?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Dorchester.
- Who is the headteacher of St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
- The headteacher of St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is Mr Simon Thomas, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester has 177 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester full?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester has capacity for 183 pupils and 177 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester a faith school?
- Yes. St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is designated Roman Catholic, in the Diocese of Plymouth.
- Does St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester as having nursery classes.
- Is St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester part of an academy trust?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is part of PLYMOUTH CAST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester's absence rate?
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester's overall absence rate is 5.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester. 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 1 July 2026.