St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Catchment Area
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is an academy converter primary school in Dorchester, Dorset , serving pupils aged 4-9, with 149 pupils, and a capacity of 150 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
4-9
Age range
149
Pupils
150
Capacity
99%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2019
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster?
The catchment area for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster: 150 places, 99% filled: nearing capacity
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster has a published admission number of 150 places. 149 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 150, 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. 6.7% 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 Church of England First School, Charminster: School Information
- Full address
- West Hill, Charminster, Dorchester, DT2 9RD
- Local authority
- Dorset
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 4-9 years
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 6.7% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 151330
Other Primary Schools in Dorchester
If St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England Schools in Dorset
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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's Church of England First School, Charminster 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's Church of England First School, Charminster
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster? ▾
The catchment area for St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster oversubscribed? ▾
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is operating close to its capacity of 150 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's Church of England First School, Charminster? ▾
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster 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 Church of England First School, Charminster cover? ▾
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster is a primary school in Dorchester, Dorset, serving pupils aged 4-9. 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 Church of England First School, Charminster? ▾
St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster was rated Good by Ofsted in 2019. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.