Dean CofE School, Workington
Dean CofE School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Workington, part of The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 12 schools in Workington with published results, and 13,886th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Dean CofE School in detail
Dean CofE School in its own words
In its own words: "Our Office Administrator, Mrs N Alderson, is the first point of contact for any enquiries about our school."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at Dean CofE School reached the expected standard in reading and 45% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dean CofE School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Dean CofE School as their first choice and 18 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dean CofE School are Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy (2.7 miles, Good, 89% reading, 93% maths); St Bridget's CofE School (3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School (3.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 75% maths); and Broughton Primary School (3.8 miles, Good, 89% reading, 83% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Dean CofE School.
Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary AcademySt Bridget's CofE SchoolDerwent Vale Primary and Nursery SchoolBroughton Primary School
The trust
Dean CofE School is one of 13 schools run by The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
2.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (5.2%) received SEN support and 3 (3.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Staffing
Dean CofE School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cumberland (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
Dean CofE School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy coming to Dean CofE School. Leaders' vision of 'loving to learn, learning to love' is realised in pupils' positive attitudes to learning and in the way that they treat others. Pupils are kind, caring and considerate. They value the strong relationships that they have with the adults in school, and know who they can talk to if they are worried about something. Pupils, including children in the early years, are happy and safe.
Leaders have high expectations of pupils' learning. Pupils rise to these expectations. They work hard in their lessons and try their best. Pupils listen to their teachers and concentrate on their learning. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have constructed a broad and ambitious curriculum from the early years to the end of Year 6. They have identified the essential knowledge for pupils to learn and the order in which this should be taught. Pupils achieve well.
Most teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They choose activities and resources that interest and enthuse pupils. However, in some subjects, teachers are not sufficiently clear about the important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that some pupils do not build and retain knowledge as securely as they could and are not as well prepared for new learning as they should be in a few subjects.
From Ofsted's June 2023 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
2.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 83% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 67% to 45% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 58% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.3
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
25.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dean CofE School
Term dates
Dean CofE School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cumberland's term dates for its community schools.
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dean CofE School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dean CofE School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Dean CofE School
Will you get a place at Dean CofE School?
For 2026 entry it had 10 first choices for 10 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
79%
Available places
83 pupils
105 places
22 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Cockermouth Primary planning area (Cumberland) will have 240 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
96
Total Pupils
60
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
13.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,713
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,670
Per pupil
£590k
Total funding
£3k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
5.8%
Persistent absence
69
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Dean CofE School
What are SATs results like at Dean CofE School?
Of the pupils at Dean CofE School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 45% did so in maths.
What is Dean CofE School's Ofsted rating?
Dean CofE School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Inadequate.
Is it hard to get a place at Dean CofE School?
Dean CofE School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Dean CofE School?
Classes at Dean CofE School average 18.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dean CofE School?
Dean CofE School has around 96 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dean CofE School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Dean CofE School in 2024/25. 5.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Dean CofE School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dean CofE School?
Dean CofE School is at Dean, Workington, CA14 4TH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)