Dearham Primary School, Maryport
Dearham Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Maryport, part of Changing Lives Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 6 schools in Maryport with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dearham Primary School in detail
Dearham Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to our school, a happy, nurturing and welcoming community at the heart of the village life, where every child is encouraged to thrive and achieve their very best. We are proud of our friendly children, dedicated staff and strong sense of teamwork, which create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and inspired to learn."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Dearham Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 68% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Dearham Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Dearham Primary School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Dearham Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dearham Primary School are Crosscanonby St John's CofE School (1.3 miles, Good, 18% reading, 27% maths); Ellenborough Academy (1.7 miles); Netherton Infant School (1.7 miles, Good); and Broughton Moor Primary School (1.8 miles).
Crosscanonby St John's CofE SchoolEllenborough AcademyNetherton Infant SchoolBroughton Moor Primary School
The trust
Dearham Primary School is one of 9 schools run by Changing Lives Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
69 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dearham Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (96%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (75%).
Who goes there
1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 36 pupils (17.8%) received SEN support and 15 (7.4%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Maryport Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Went (at), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dearham Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Dearham Primary School provides an exciting, well-organized curriculum where children build knowledge step-by-step from Nursery through Year 6. Pupils behave exceptionally well because staff have clear expectations, and the school ensures that all children, including those with additional needs, achieve successfully. The school places reading at the heart of learning and enriches this with a range of engaging activities that help pupils develop into confident, responsible young people.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects, including those with special educational needs -
- Reading is at the heart of the curriculum with excellent phonics provision from Reception onwards -
- Clear behaviour expectations create a calm, orderly school where pupils are polite and respectful -
- Strong identification and support for pupils with SEND, with effective communication with parents and professionals -
- Well-organized curriculum where new knowledge builds logically on prior learning
Areas for Improvement
- Some adaptations for pupils with SEND in mathematics don't encourage independent practice, limiting their ability to apply skills in different situations -
- New subject leaders need more support to evaluate how well their curriculum is working, particularly for pupils with SEND -
- A small number of subjects lack clear overview of curriculum impact on pupil achievement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Cross-country running, sewing, cookery, librarians, school councillors, house captains
Dearham Primary School is a Good primary school where pupils enjoy learning and benefit from a broad, ambitious curriculum. The school has recently stabilized following leadership changes and has taken effective action to improve mathematics teaching across all year groups.
At a Glance
16.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
69 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 61% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.4
Avg class size
24.3
Infant (KS1)
27.0
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Dearham Primary School
Newsletter 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Newsletter 3rd July 2026
6 Jul 2026
Changes to Free School Meals - September 2026
1 Jul 2026
Newsletter 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
Water Safety
25 Jun 2026
Newsletter 19th June 2026
22 Jun 2026
From Dearham Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Dearham Primary School
Term dates
Dearham Primary 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.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dearham Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dearham Primary 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)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Dearham Primary School
Will you get a place at Dearham Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dearham Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dearham Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dearham Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dearham Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cumberland got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
77%
Available places
189 pupils
245 places
56 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Maryport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maryport
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
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
25.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
202
Total Pupils
108
Boys
94
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,923
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,463
Per pupil
£1166k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
16.1%
Persistent absence
180
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Dearham Primary School
Questions parents ask about Dearham Primary School
What are SATs results like at Dearham Primary School?
Of the pupils at Dearham Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Dearham Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Dearham Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Dearham Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Dearham Primary School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Dearham Primary School?
Dearham Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 245 places.
How big are the classes at Dearham Primary School?
Classes at Dearham Primary School average 22.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dearham Primary School?
Dearham Primary School has around 202 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dearham Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Dearham Primary School in 2024/25. 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dearham Primary School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Dearham Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Dearham Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dearham Primary School?
Dearham Primary School is at The Went, Dearham, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 7HR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)