Buckland Newton Church of England Primary School
Academy converter primary school in Dorchester (Dorset).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
We are currently top of the Dorset league tables for progress in Reading, Writing and Maths. These scores place us in the top 20 primary schools nationally, for progress in Reading and Writing!
Buckland Newton is a "caring school that supports, challenges and nurtures its learners in a stimulating and thriving environment." – Ofsted 2017 On behalf of myself, the staff and governors, I would like to warmly welcome you to Buckland Newton CE Primary School. We are a very successful village school and the highest achieving school in the area.
We are equidistant from both Dorchester and Sherborne and our school is very much part of the local community – we have strong links with the local Church. We have wonderful support from the Governing Body, parents, a band of volunteers from the community and our FBNS (Friends of Buckland Newton School).
We are committed to excellence in education and aim to excite children's imaginations through a range of engaging and challenging learning experiences within a Christian environment.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
1 activityiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Forest School
Key facts
- URN
- 144413
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Constituency
- West Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 2017
Governing body (7 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Simon Notley Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Anna Dunning | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Natalie Cash | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Patrick Dennehy | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Caron White | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Ina Stone | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2019 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Helen Leather | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2019 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mrs Philippa Gillard | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2016 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Canon Jonathan Still Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2021 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr Brian Wells Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2021 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record