Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Chard Street, Chard, Thorncombe, TA20 4NE
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sally Davies
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- The First Federation Trust
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 77
- Pupils on roll
- 34
- URN
- 151307
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 0146030535
About this school
Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Thorncombe. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 34 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
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
This inspection took place when the school was registered as Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy (URN 148404).
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 2 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - |
| Expected standard in reading | - |
| Expected standard in maths | - |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - |
| Average scaled score in reading | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - |
Trends over time
How Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy 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 | — | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
How Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy compares
Its absence rate was lower than 21% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 7.4% | 37.9% | 34 | — |
| Winsham Primary School | — | 7.3% | 20.7% | 22 | 1.8 miles |
| Marshwood CofE Primary Academy | 38% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 43 | 2.3 miles |
| Hawkchurch Church of England School | — | 8.8% | 35.5% | 43 | 2.8 miles |
| Tatworth Primary School | 61% | 3.6% | 17.4% | 196 | 3.2 miles |
| Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 60% | 5.8% | 16.1% | 93 | 3.8 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.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 37.93%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 7.42%
- Persistent absence
- 18.52%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Winsham Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Near Chard
-
Marshwood CofE Primary Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Bridport
-
Hawkchurch Church of England School2.8 miles
Primary · Axminster
-
Tatworth Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Chard
-
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School3.8 miles
Primary · Beaminster
Common questions
- What year groups does Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy teach?
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Thorncombe.
- Who is the headteacher of Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is Mrs Sally Davies, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy, 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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy?
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy has 34 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy full?
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy has capacity for 77 pupils and 34 on roll (44%), 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 Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is designated Church of England.
- Does Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy?
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is part of THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 7.4% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy'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 3 July 2026.