Piddle Valley Church of England First School
Piddletrenthide, Dorchester, DT2 7QL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jemma Moore
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Wessex Multi Academy Trust
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 115
- Pupils on roll
- 40
- URN
- 141804
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01300348219
About this school
Piddle Valley Church of England First School is a Church of England primary academy in Dorchester. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 40 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
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 Piddle Valley Church of England 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 | 10.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 13.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 17.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 64 |
| 2023/24 | 53 |
| 2024/25 | 44 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Piddle Valley Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 1% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 17.1% | 20.5% | 40 | — |
| Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School | — | 3.2% | 10.3% | 77 | 2.9 miles |
| Cheselbourne Village School | — | 6.9% | 22.5% | 49 | 3.3 miles |
| Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School | 71% | 4.4% | 14.7% | 110 | 3.8 miles |
| St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | — | 4.1% | 6.7% | 148 | 4.6 miles |
| Puddletown Church of England First School | — | 4.4% | 11.1% | 134 | 4.6 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)
- 20.51%
- English as an additional language
- 4.5%
- Overall absence
- 17.13%
- Persistent absence
- 25%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School2.9 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Cheselbourne Village School3.3 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School3.8 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster4.6 miles
Primary · Dorchester
-
Puddletown Church of England First School4.6 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
- 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School teach?
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Dorchester.
- Who is the headteacher of Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of Piddle Valley Church of England First School is Mrs Jemma Moore, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Piddle Valley Church of England First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Piddle Valley Church of England 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School has 40 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Piddle Valley Church of England First School full?
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School has capacity for 115 pupils and 40 on roll (35%), 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 Piddle Valley Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Piddle Valley Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does Piddle Valley Church of England First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Piddle Valley Church of England First School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Piddle Valley Church of England First School?
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School is part of WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Piddle Valley Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Piddle Valley Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 17.1% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Piddle Valley Church of England 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 Piddle Valley Church of England 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.