Merley First School
Oakley Straight, Merley, Wimborne, BH21 1SD
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- INITIO LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rebecca Baldwin
- Sponsor
- Wimborne Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Mid Dorset and North Poole
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 300
- Pupils on roll
- 292
- URN
- 141794
- Local authority
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01202888455
About this school
Merley First School is a primary academy in Wimborne. It teaches children aged 5 to 9 and has 292 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Merley First School, and its latest judgement is set out 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
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
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Merley 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 | 4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 302 |
| 2023/24 | 285 |
| 2024/25 | 287 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Merley First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 95% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.4% | 10.1% | 292 | — |
| St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne | — | 6.5% | 24.1% | 148 | 1.0 miles |
| Wimborne First School and Nursery | — | 4.3% | 12.6% | 400 | 1.4 miles |
| Hayeswood First School | — | 3.8% | 7.8% | 148 | 1.7 miles |
| Broadstone First School | — | 5.9% | 10.8% | 305 | 1.8 miles |
| Colehill First School | — | 3.6% | 8.8% | 148 | 1.9 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)
- 10.1%
- English as an additional language
- 1.7%
- Overall absence
- 3.36%
- Persistent absence
- 2.93%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne1.0 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Wimborne First School and Nursery1.4 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Hayeswood First School1.7 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
Broadstone First School1.8 miles
Primary · Broadstone
-
Colehill First School1.9 miles
Primary · Wimborne
Other schools in Wimborne
- Colehill First School Primary
- Cranborne Church of England First School Primary
- Hampreston Church of England Voluntary Aided First School Primary
- Hayeswood First School Primary
- Henbury View First School Primary
- Pamphill Church of England First School Primary
- Rushcombe First School Primary
- St James Church of England First School Primary
- St John's Church of England First School, Wimborne Primary
- Sturminster Marshall First School Primary
- Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School Primary
- Wimborne First School and Nursery Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Merley First School teach?
- Merley First School teaches children aged 5 to 9. It is a primary school in Wimborne.
- Who is the headteacher of Merley First School?
- The headteacher of Merley First School is Mrs Rebecca Baldwin, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Merley First School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Merley 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 many pupils are at Merley First School?
- Merley First School has 292 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 9.
- Is Merley First School full?
- Merley First School has capacity for 300 pupils and 292 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 Merley First School a faith school?
- No. Merley First School has no designated religious character.
- Does Merley First School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Merley First School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Merley First School part of an academy trust?
- Merley First School is part of INITIO LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Merley First School's absence rate?
- Merley First School's overall absence rate is 3.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Merley 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 Merley 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 2 July 2026.