School profile

Rushcombe First School

Primary · Community school · Wimborne, BH21 3PX

Outstanding

Map showing Rushcombe First School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

Rushcombe First School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 30 Nov 2022

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages4 to 9
Pupils313
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Caroline Mahon
Local authorityDorset
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 113684.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils313
Girls146
Boys167
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.7.3%
First language not English2.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.300
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.51
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.6
Average class size31

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
93%
Bangladeshi
1.6%
Other mixed
1.3%
White and Black Caribbean
1%
Other White
0.6%
Irish
0.3%
Gypsy/Roma
0.3%
White and Black African
0.3%
White and Asian
0.3%
Indian
0.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.7
Teachers (FTE)14.5
Teaching assistants (FTE)10.14
Support staff (FTE)11.77
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2514.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2513.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.60
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.169
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.85
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.51
Applications from another local authority (Reception)51

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolDorsetEngland
Overall absence3.7%, better than England-5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.6.2%, better than England-13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England-1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Rushcombe First School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryHenbury View First SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miSecondaryCorfe Hills SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimarySpringdale First SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.8 miMiddle deemed secondaryLockyer's Middle SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miNot applicableCastle Court SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.0 miPrimaryBroadstone First SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miMiddle deemed secondaryBroadstone Middle SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.6 miPrimaryHillbourne Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miSecondaryPoole Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Rushcombe First School

What is Rushcombe First School's Ofsted rating?

Rushcombe First School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 30 Nov 2022.

How hard is it to get into Rushcombe First School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Rushcombe First School made 60 offers from 169 applications (2.8 per offer), and 51 of 85 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Rushcombe First School?

Rushcombe First School has 313 pupils aged 4 to 9.

What is the capacity of Rushcombe First School?

Rushcombe First School had 300 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Rushcombe First School?

At Rushcombe First School, the average class had 31 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Rushcombe First School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Rushcombe First School missed 3.7% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 6.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.