Thurstaston Dawpool CofE Primary School, Wirral

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.1km)Possible (~1.6km)Unlikely (~2.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Helen Griffiths
Pupils:216 / 230 capacity
LA:Wirral
Phone:01516483412
Address:School Lane, Thurstaston, Wirral, CH61 0HH
Trust:CHESTER DIOCESAN ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 February 2023

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 20 May 2025View full report
URN:149512
UKPRN:10091612
Diocese:Diocese of Chester
Constituency:Wirral West
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Thurstaston Dawpool is a warm, welcoming school where children thrive. The school is particularly strong in teaching reading and phonics, with results among the best in the country. All pupils, including those with additional needs, benefit from an ambitious curriculum and plenty of opportunities to develop confidence and leadership skills.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent phonics and reading teaching - pupils' 2024 attainment among highest nationally
  • Strong relationships and behaviour throughout the school with clear routines and expectations
  • Highly effective support for pupils with additional needs, ensuring they access the same ambitious curriculum
  • Wide range of enrichment opportunities including leadership roles, clubs and community engagement
  • Staff feel valued with good consideration given to workload and well-being

Areas for Improvement

  • In some subjects, curriculum does not clearly set out smaller components of knowledge pupils need to learn, causing gaps in prior learning
  • Insufficient checks in some subjects on how well teachers deliver the curriculum - some content not being covered as intended, with school unaware
  • Need to ensure all subjects have clarity for staff about the order and steps of knowledge to be taught

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Lunchtime clubs, after-school clubs, sports day, young leaders programme, Year 6 buddy roles, play leader roles, breakfast provision

Thurstaston Dawpool CofE Primary School is a good primary school where pupils enjoy coming to school, feel happy and safe, and achieve well. The school has created an ambitious curriculum with particularly strong provision in early reading, where pupils' 2024 attainment was among the highest nationally.

At a Glance

2.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

112 responses
Would recommend88%
Child is happy93%
Well taught88%
Good progress82%
Feels safe94%
Well behaved88%
Bullying dealt with20%
Kept informed82%
Handles concerns52%
Wider development77%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths+7ppWriting+1pp

Reading has remained stable at around 93%. Maths has improved from 83% to 90%. Writing has remained stable at around 87%.

Class Sizes

28.4

Avg class size

28.0

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

8

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

School Lane (adj)
281m · 5 min walk
Sandy Lane (adj)
389m · 6 min walk
Telegraph Road (adj)
421m · 7 min walk
Thurstaston Road (adj)
498m · 8 min walk
Caldy Sports Club (nr)
529m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

94%

Near capacity

216 pupils

230 capacity

14 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Wirral

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,768
Projected new pupils:442

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wirral

Admissions Demand - Wirral

Low demand0.76x oversubscription

Places available

3,860

Applications

2,952

Got 1st preference

96.0%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Wirral (2025/26)

Inspection History

20 May 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.12785%

Overall absence

3.40909%

Persistent absence

176

Enrolments

Authorised2.47526%
Unauthorised0.65258%
Persistent (10%+)3.40909%
Severe (50%+)0.56818%

Absence trend

4.16617%
23/24
3.12785%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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