Durweston Church of England Primary School
Durweston, Blandford Forum, DT11 0QA
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF SALISBURY ACADEMY TRUST
- Acting Headteacher
- Mrs Jennifer McMullen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Salisbury
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 140
- Pupils on roll
- 144
- URN
- 149456
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01258452277
About this school
Durweston Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Blandford Forum. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 144 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Durweston Church of England Primary 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
Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.
- Inclusion
- Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Strong standard
- Achievement
- Strong standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Leadership and governance
- Strong standard
- Early years
- Strong standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 19 | 15 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 63% | 80% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 95% | 100% |
| Expected standard in maths | 95% | 100% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 84% | 100% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 108.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 110.0 | 111.0 |
Trends over time
How Durweston Church of England Primary 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 | Dorset average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | — | 53.5% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 63% | 53.3% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 80% | 54.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 136 |
| 2023/24 | 132 |
| 2024/25 | 140 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Durweston Church of England Primary School compares
Durweston Church of England Primary School ranked 3rd of 89 primary schools in Dorset for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 87% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 27% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 80% | 6.8% | 10.6% | 144 | — |
| Milldown CofE Academy | 48% | 6.2% | 23.2% | 200 | 1.7 miles |
| Shillingstone Church of England Primary School | 67% | 3.5% | 23.3% | 103 | 2.1 miles |
| Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School | 64% | 6.5% | 27.9% | 411 | 2.5 miles |
| Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School | 67% | 5.1% | 30.6% | 208 | 2.5 miles |
| St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford | 43% | 5.7% | 16.5% | 125 | 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.
Inspection history
-
Graded inspection report10 February 2026
- 21 September 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 10.57%
- English as an additional language
- 2.1%
- Overall absence
- 6.83%
- Persistent absence
- 18.18%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Milldown CofE Academy1.7 miles
Primary · Blandford Forum
-
Shillingstone Church of England Primary School2.1 miles
Primary · Blandford Forum
-
Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Blandford Forum
-
Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Blandford Forum
-
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford2.8 miles
Primary · Blandford Forum
Other schools in Blandford Forum
Durweston Church of England Primary School ranks 1st of the 9 ranked primary schools in Blandford Forum.
- Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School Primary
- Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School Primary
- Downlands Community School Primary
- Milborne St Andrew First School Primary
- Milldown CofE Academy Primary
- Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Primary
- Shillingstone Church of England Primary School Primary
- Spetisbury CofE Primary School Primary
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Child Okeford Primary
- The Blandford School Secondary
- The Forum Centre Local authority maintained schools
- The Forum School Special schools
Common questions
- What ages does Durweston Church of England Primary School teach?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Blandford Forum.
- Who is the acting headteacher of Durweston Church of England Primary School?
- The acting headteacher of Durweston Church of England Primary School is Mrs Jennifer McMullen, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Durweston Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Durweston Church of England Primary 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 Durweston Church of England Primary School?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School has 144 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Durweston Church of England Primary School full?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School has capacity for 140 pupils and 144 on roll (103%), so it is at or above 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 Durweston Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Durweston Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Salisbury.
- Does Durweston Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Durweston Church of England Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Durweston Church of England Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School is part of DIOCESE OF SALISBURY ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Durweston Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 63% in 2023/24 and 80% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Durweston Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in Dorset?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School ranked 3rd of 89 primary schools in Dorset for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 87% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 27% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Durweston Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Durweston Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.8% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Durweston Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Durweston Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
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.