Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College, Chester
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Chester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College in detail
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Dorin Park is a specialist all-age school for children and young people with physical difficulties, complex moderate learning difficulties, complex medical needs and general complex needs."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College are Maple Grove School (1.3 miles); Abbey School for Exceptional Children (1.5 miles, Good); Dee Banks School (2.3 miles, Good); and The Greenhouse HyFlex Academy (3 miles).
Maple Grove SchoolAbbey School for Exceptional ChildrenDee Banks SchoolThe Greenhouse HyFlex Academy
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 11% to a further education college.
Who goes there
43.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College has an education, health and care plan (170 of 170 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bache Rail Station, about 570 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wealstone Lane (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 122 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cheshire West and Chester (71), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's motto, 'Learning together, growing together', underpins all that it does. Each morning, staff enthusiastically welcome pupils into school. Pupils feel safe and happy. They said that staff are approachable and caring. Many pupils build positive relationships with their peers and with staff. They behave well during lessons and around school. Skilled staff support pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour.
The school has high aspirations for its pupils. It supports pupils in developing their confidence and resilience as they move through the school. Pupils are polite and respectful. From their individual starting points, they make positive progress through the curriculum.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is ambitious for its pupils. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has designed four flexible curriculum pathways. It has reviewed and identified the building blocks of knowledge that it wants pupils to learn, from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 13. Pupils build their knowledge in a logical order. Older pupils benefit from vocational courses that help them to develop their practical skills. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.
The school promptly identifies the additional needs of pupils. Staff use pupils' individual education, health and care (EHC) plans effectively to ensure that the curriculum is suitably adjusted to meet pupils' needs. Pupils profit from a personalised package of therapeutic and sensory support. This helps them to overcome their individual barriers. Pupils develop important skills, including large-muscle skills, balance and coordination.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded 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 July 2014 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College is in Cheshire West and Chester; for families living there:
Apply to Cheshire West and Chester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Chester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chester
Across Cheshire West and Chester council
Places available
4,194
Applications
3,482
Got 1st preference
95.0%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Cheshire West and Chester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
170
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
170
Total Pupils
107
Boys
63
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
7.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,209
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.0%
Overall absence
26.3%
Persistent absence
133
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College
What are SATs results like at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Of the pupils at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College's Ofsted rating?
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
No fixed boundary. When Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College is oversubscribed, Cheshire West and Chester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College has around 170 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College have specialist SEN provision?
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
9% of sessions were missed at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College in 2024/25. 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Apply through Cheshire West and Chester's coordinated admissions process, naming Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Cheshire West and Chester is 7 (the median across 184 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College is at Wealstone Lane, Upton, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1HD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)