St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Catchment Area
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is an academy converter primary school in Dorchester, Dorset , serving pupils aged 2-9, with 174 pupils, and a capacity of 183 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
2-9
Age range
174
Pupils
183
Capacity
95%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2010
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester?
The catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester: 183 places, 95% filled: nearing capacity
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester has a published admission number of 183 places. 174 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 95%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 183, 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. 8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Dorchester.
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's Catholic First School, Dorchester: School Information
- Full address
- Lucetta Lane, Dorchester, DT1 2DD
- Local authority
- Dorset
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 2-9 years
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 8% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 140771
Other Primary Schools in Dorchester
If St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Dorchester are the next closest alternatives.
Broadmayne First School Catchment Area
Community school · DT2 8PH
The Prince of Wales School Catchment Area
Community school · DT1 2HH
Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · DT2 7LA
Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · DT2 0AX
Sticklands Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · DT2 0JP
Thorner's Church of England School, Litton Cheney Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · DT2 9AU
Other Roman Catholic Schools in Dorset
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester shares its religious character with these Roman Catholic schools across Dorset. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Weymouth Catchment Area
Academy converter · Weymouth
St Catherine's Roman Catholic School Catchment Area
Academy converter · Bridport
St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · Wareham
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull Catchment Area
Academy converter · Sturminster Newton
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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.
Manor Park Church of England First School Catchment Area
Academy sponsor led · Dorchester · 0.3 miles away
Damers First School Catchment Area
Academy converter · Dorchester · 1.5 miles away
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Catchment Area
Academy converter · Dorchester · 2.1 miles away
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester? ▾
The catchment area for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester oversubscribed? ▾
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is operating close to its capacity of 183 places (95% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester? ▾
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester cover? ▾
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester is a primary school in Dorchester, Dorset, serving pupils aged 2-9. 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's Catholic First School, Dorchester? ▾
St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester was rated Good by Ofsted in 2010. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.