St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is an academy converter primary school in Gillingham, Dorset , serving pupils aged 2-11, with 241 pupils, and a capacity of 244 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
2-11
Age range
241
Pupils
244
Capacity
99%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2017
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
The catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is the geographic zone Dorset uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Dorset publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is managed by Dorset and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
Get an alert if St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Dorset before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Dorset catchment area documents →St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School: 244 places, 99% filled: nearing capacity
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School has a published admission number of 244 places. 241 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 99%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 244, Dorset's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 17% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Gillingham.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Dorset publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Dorset Council school admissions (official) →
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School: School Information
- Full address
- Pheasant Way, Gillingham, SP8 4GG
- Local authority
- Dorset
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 2-11 years
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 17% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 147145
Other Primary Schools in Gillingham
If St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Gillingham are the next closest alternatives.
Stower Provost Community School Catchment Area
Community school · SP8 5LX
Hempstead Junior School Catchment Area
Community school · ME7 3HJ
Hempstead Infant School Catchment Area
Community school · ME7 3QG
Bredhurst Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · ME7 3JY
St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · ME8 9NP
St Mary's Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · ME7 1YH
Other Church of England Schools in Dorset
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School shares its religious character with these Church of England schools across Dorset. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Dorchester
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Dorchester
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Beaminster
Wyke Regis Church of England Junior School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Weymouth
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
What is the catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School? ▾
The catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is the geographic zone Dorset uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Dorset publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School oversubscribed? ▾
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is operating close to its capacity of 244 places (99% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School? ▾
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Dorset before each admissions cycle.
What age range does St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School cover? ▾
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is a primary school in Gillingham, Dorset, serving pupils aged 2-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School? ▾
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2017. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.