Thornford CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Thornford CofE Primary School is an academy converter primary school in Sherborne, Dorset , serving pupils aged 4-11, with 99 pupils, and a capacity of 105 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
4-11
Age range
99
Pupils
105
Capacity
94%
Fill rate
Thornford CofE Primary School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Thornford CofE Primary School?
The catchment area for Thornford CofE 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 Thornford CofE 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 Thornford CofE 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 →Thornford CofE Primary School: 105 places, 94% filled: nearing capacity
Thornford CofE Primary School has a published admission number of 105 places. 99 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 94%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 105, 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. 9.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Sherborne.
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) →
Thornford CofE Primary School: School Information
- Full address
- Boot Lane, Thornford, Sherborne, DT9 6QY
- Local authority
- Dorset
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 4-11 years
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 9.1% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 144415
Other Primary Schools in Sherborne
If Thornford CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Sherborne are the next closest alternatives.
Trent Young's CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 4SW
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Bradford Abbas Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 6RH
Sherborne Abbey Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 6AQ
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 6LS
Sherborne Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 4AJ
Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School Catchment Area
Academy converter · DT9 4NL
Other Church of England Schools in Dorset
Thornford CofE 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 Thornford CofE 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: Thornford CofE Primary School
What is the catchment area for Thornford CofE Primary School? ▾
The catchment area for Thornford CofE 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 Thornford CofE Primary School oversubscribed? ▾
Thornford CofE Primary School is operating close to its capacity of 105 places (94% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Thornford CofE Primary School? ▾
Thornford CofE 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 Thornford CofE Primary School cover? ▾
Thornford CofE Primary School is a primary school in Sherborne, Dorset, serving pupils aged 4-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.