Piddle Valley Church of England First School

How places are decided at Piddle Valley Church of England First School

Piddle Valley Church of England First School: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Piddle Valley Church of England First School's overall effectiveness to be?

Ofsted judged Piddle Valley Church of England First School's overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in November 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend Piddle Valley Church of England First School?

Piddle Valley Church of England First School has 40 pupils on roll.

What ages does Piddle Valley Church of England First School take?

Piddle Valley Church of England First School admits pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Piddle Valley Church of England First School located?

Piddle Valley Church of England First School is located in Dorchester, DT2 7QL, Dorset.

How do I apply to Piddle Valley Church of England First School?

Piddle Valley Church of England First School is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for primary places is 15 January.

Does Piddle Valley Church of England First School have a religious character?

Yes — Piddle Valley Church of England First School has a religious character of Church of England. Faith criteria may apply to admissions; check the school's oversubscription policy for details.

How close do you need to live to get into Piddle Valley Church of England First School?

On offer day for 2015-16 (Reception), the furthest place offered at Piddle Valley Church of England First School was 3.312 miles from the school. That is the distance the last place reached in one year, not a boundary and not a guarantee — it moves with the number of applicants.

How are Reception places decided at Piddle Valley Church of England First School?

When Piddle Valley Church of England First School has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children or Previously Looked After Children — A child who is in the care of an LA or was in the care of an LA but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangement, or special guardianship order. This includes those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted; 2. Vulnerable Children — A child is eligible in this category where the child has an identified social or medical need including those that have named the school in their EHCP; 3. Catchment Area with sibling at the school — A child living inside the Catchment Area is eligible for this category where they have a sibling attending the school on the date of application and the sibling will still be attending the school at the time of admission, and 8 further criteria. The school offers 23 places at this entry point. Tie-break: The school will adopt the measurement system of Dorset Council Local Authority to determine the distance from the school to the child's home address. Where two or more applicants live an equal distance from the school and it is not possible to differentiate between them, priority will be determined by random allocation through the drawing of lots supervised by someone independent of the school.

What is the largest ethnic background at Piddle Valley Church of England First School?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 75% of pupils at Piddle Valley Church of England First School are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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