Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Oct 2017
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147559.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 475 |
| Girls | 238 |
| Boys | 237 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 19.2% |
| First language not English | 13.1% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 600 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 20.8% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 105 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 33 |
| Average class size | 29.7 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 21.5 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 10.3 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 22.12 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 23.76 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 26.75 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 20.6 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 20 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 0 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 0.6 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
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.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 75 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 158 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 68 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 68 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 3.9%, better than England | - | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 7.4%, 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.
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.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 0.4% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 0.2% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.6 mi | Secondary | The Thomas Hardye School | Academy converter | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 4 Feb 2025. | |
| 0.8 mi | Middle deemed secondary | Dorchester Middle School | Academy converter | Requires improvement Area360 rating. Inspected 2 Jun 2026. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | The Prince of Wales School | Community school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 3 Jun 2025. | |
| 1.2 mi | Primary | St Mary's Church of England First School, Charminster | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 25 Jun 2019. | |
| 1.3 mi | Not applicable | Sunninghill Preparatory School | Other independent school | Unrated Unrated. | |
| 1.5 mi | Primary | St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 13 Jul 2010. | |
| 1.5 mi | Middle deemed secondary | St Osmund's Church of England Middle School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Jul 2022. | |
| 1.6 mi | Primary | Manor Park Church of England First School | Academy sponsor led | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 13 Jan 2026. |
Damers First School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 3 Oct 2017.
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Damers First School made 75 offers from 158 applications (2.1 per offer), and 68 of 68 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Damers First School has 475 pupils aged 4 to 9.
Damers First School had 600 school places in 2024/25.
At Damers First School, the average class had 29.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.5 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Damers First School missed 3.9% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 7.4% 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.