Verwood Church of England First School
Howe Lane, Verwood, BH31 6JF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- INITIO LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Annie Nesbitt
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Wimborne Academy Trust
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 330
- Pupils on roll
- 289
- URN
- 146720
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01202822652
About this school
Verwood Church of England First School is a Church of England primary academy in Verwood. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 289 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 Verwood 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 | 5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 310 |
| 2023/24 | 316 |
| 2024/25 | 290 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Verwood Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 76% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.3% | 6.3% | 289 | — |
| Hillside Community First School | — | 4.5% | 17.5% | 221 | 0.9 miles |
| Trinity Church of England First School | — | 4.9% | 12.8% | 128 | 1.0 miles |
| Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School | — | 7.8% | 20.7% | 84 | 1.2 miles |
| St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery | — | 4.8% | 21.9% | 148 | 3.0 miles |
| Oakhurst Community First School | — | 5.2% | 25.2% | 173 | 3.4 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)
- 6.3%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 4.34%
- Persistent absence
- 6.69%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Hillside Community First School0.9 miles
Primary · Verwood
-
Trinity Church of England First School1.0 miles
Primary · Verwood
-
Three Legged Cross First and Nursery School1.2 miles
Primary · Wimborne
-
St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery3.0 miles
Primary · Ferndown
-
Oakhurst Community First School3.4 miles
Primary · Ferndown
Other schools in Verwood
- Hillside Community First School Primary
- Trinity Church of England First School Primary
- Emmanuel Church of England Middle School Middle deemed secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Verwood Church of England First School teach?
- Verwood Church of England First School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Verwood.
- Who is the headteacher of Verwood Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of Verwood Church of England First School is Mrs Annie Nesbitt, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Verwood Church of England First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Verwood 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 Verwood Church of England First School?
- Verwood Church of England First School has 289 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Verwood Church of England First School full?
- Verwood Church of England First School has capacity for 330 pupils and 289 on roll (88%), 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 Verwood Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Verwood Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does Verwood Church of England First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Verwood Church of England First School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Verwood Church of England First School?
- Verwood Church of England 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 Verwood Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Verwood Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 4.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Verwood 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 Verwood 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 10 July 2026.