St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt
Park Lane, Alderholt, Fordingbridge, SP6 3AJ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE HEATH ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Jo Hudson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 180
- Pupils on roll
- 125
- URN
- 142506
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01425653063
About this school
St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is a Church of England primary academy in Fordingbridge. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 125 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 14 March 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 James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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 | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 97 |
| 2023/24 | 104 |
| 2024/25 | 125 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt compares
Its absence rate was lower than 71% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.6% | 16.9% | 125 | — |
| Fordingbridge Junior School | 62% | 3.3% | 21.8% | 217 | 2.5 miles |
| Fordingbridge Infant School | — | 4.6% | 16.2% | 160 | 2.5 miles |
| Hillside Community First School | — | 4.5% | 17.5% | 221 | 2.8 miles |
| Trinity Church of England First School | — | 4.9% | 12.8% | 128 | 2.8 miles |
| Hyde Church of England Primary School | 50% | 7.4% | 27.9% | 33 | 3.0 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)
- 16.87%
- English as an additional language
- 1.6%
- Overall absence
- 4.57%
- Persistent absence
- 7.81%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Fordingbridge Junior School2.5 miles
Primary · Fordingbridge
-
Fordingbridge Infant School2.5 miles
Primary · Fordingbridge
-
Hillside Community First School2.8 miles
Primary · Verwood
-
Trinity Church of England First School2.8 miles
Primary · Verwood
-
Hyde Church of England Primary School3.0 miles
Primary · Fordingbridge
Other schools in Fordingbridge
- Breamore Church of England Primary School Primary
- Fordingbridge Infant School Primary
- Fordingbridge Junior School Primary
- Hale Primary School Primary
- Hyde Church of England Primary School Primary
- Western Downland Church of England Aided Primary School Primary
- The Burgate School and Sixth Form Secondary
- Forres Sandle Manor School Independent schools
Common questions
- What year groups does St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt teach?
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Fordingbridge.
- Who is the headteacher of St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
- The headteacher of St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is Headteacher Jo Hudson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt, 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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt has 125 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt full?
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt has capacity for 180 pupils and 125 on roll (69%), 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 St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt a faith school?
- Yes. St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt as having nursery classes.
- Who runs St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt?
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt is part of THE HEATH ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt's absence rate?
- St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt's overall absence rate is 4.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does St James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt 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 James' Church of England First School and Nursery, Alderholt. 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.