School profile

Sopley Primary School

Primary · Community school · Christchurch, BH23 8ET

Good

Map showing Sopley Primary School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#14,085 of 15,057

Worse than 93% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Sopley Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 28 Nov 2013

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages4 to 11
Pupils71
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr Mathew Bowen
Local authorityHampshire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 115948.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths38%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire63%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.0%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire9%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.104, worse than England, worse than Hampshire106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.99, worse than England, worse than Hampshire104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.101, worse than England, worse than Hampshire105105
Expected standard in reading69%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire76%76%
Expected standard in writing85%, better than England, better than Hampshire74%73%
Expected standard in maths46%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire74%75%
Pupils taking tests13--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils71
Girls36
Boys35
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.21.1%
First language not English4.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.105
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.32.4%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.11
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.3
Average class size24.5

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
84.5%
Other White
4.2%
White and Black Caribbean
2.8%
White and Asian
2.8%
Gypsy/Roma
1.4%
Other mixed
1.4%
Other Black
1.4%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%
White and Black African
0%

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 teacher16.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.1
Teachers (FTE)4.4
Teaching assistants (FTE)3.38
Support staff (FTE)5.12
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/253.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/252.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

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.12
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.36
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.12
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.12
Applications from another local authority (Reception)19

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 schoolHampshireEngland
Overall absence4.7%, similar to England, similar to Hampshire4.5%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.14.5%, similar to England, worse than Hampshire10.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.9%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire0.9%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 rate1.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

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

Frequently asked questions about Sopley Primary School

What is Sopley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Sopley Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 28 Nov 2013.

How does Sopley Primary School rank in England?

Sopley Primary School ranks 14,085 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 93% of schools).

What are Sopley Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 38% of pupils at Sopley Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Sopley Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Sopley Primary School made 12 offers from 36 applications (3 per offer), and 12 of 12 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Sopley Primary School?

Sopley Primary School has 71 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Sopley Primary School?

Sopley Primary School had 105 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Sopley Primary School?

At Sopley Primary School, the average class had 24.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Sopley Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Sopley Primary School missed 4.7% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 14.5% 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.