Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College
| Type | Special School / Community special school |
| Age Range | 2-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Wealstone Lane Upton Chester Cheshire CH2 1HD |
| Phone | 01244470134 |
| Reference Number | 111511 |
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. The school’s ethos of ‘Learning together, growing together’ is reflected in how pupils feel welcomed and supported by staff, fostering an environment where they feel safe and happy. Skilled staff provide effective support tailored to the individual needs of each pupil, and positive progress is evident across the curriculum. Noteworthy is the school’s commitment to developing pupils’ independence and skills for adulthood through various programs and activities, such as travel training and work experience. The school prioritizes communication and reading, although there are concerns regarding the consistency of phonics instruction which impacts the speed of reading development for some pupils. Overall, governors provide strong support and challenge, and the school continues to adapt and improve its educational offerings. This is the second ungraded inspection since the school was last judged to be good in 2014, following significant changes in leadership.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 157 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 62.42%
Girls: 37.58% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 36.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 6.4% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 7 | 14 | 5 | 19 |
| 8 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| 9 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 11 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| 12 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 84.7% |
| White, Other | 5.7% |
| African | 3.2% |
| White & Asian | 1.9% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.3% |
| Chinese | 0.6% |
| Asian, Other | 0.6% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 02 Jul 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 02 Jul 2024 | School inspection |
| 25 Sep 2018 | Short inspection |
| 03 Jul 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 11 Apr 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Apr 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 16 May 2005 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils feel safe and happy at school.
- Staff build positive relationships with pupils and support their emotional needs.
- The school has a strong focus on developing communication skills.
- Pupils make positive progress from their individual starting points.
- High aspirations are set for all pupils, including vocational courses for older students.
- Pupils are well prepared for adulthood through various programs and activities.
- Staff collaborate well as a team and reduce workload effectively.
- The school has a strong focus on fostering pupils' wider development.
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff do not implement the phonics programme consistently well.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 0% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 0% |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -6.5 | ||
| Writing | -6.4 | ||
| Maths | -6 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
Get percentile rankings, historic result charts, admissions data, and post-GCSE destinations for every school.
£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
Unlock for £9.99Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Mill View Primary School
Wealstone Lane, Upton, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1HB |
0.27 miles |
|
Upton Heath CofE Primary School
Upton Lane, Upton Heath, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1ED |
0.35 miles |
|
Upton Westlea Primary School
Upton Westlea Primary School, Weston Grove, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1QJ |
0.36 miles |
|
The Firs School
|
0.49 miles |
|
Newton Primary School
Kingsway West, Newton, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 2LA |
0.7 miles |
|
Acresfield Academy
Acres Lane, Upton By Chester, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1LJ |
0.93 miles |
|
St Martin's Academy Chester
91 Hoole Road, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3NG |
1.05 miles |
|
Chester Blue Coat Church of England Primary School
Walpole Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 4HG |
1.15 miles |
|
St Werburgh's and St Columba's Catholic Primary School
Lightfoot Street, Hoole, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3AD |
1.34 miles |
|
St Theresa's Catholic Primary School
Kipling Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5UU |
1.38 miles |
|
Hoole Church of England Primary School
Hoole Lane, Hoole, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 3HB |
1.39 miles |
|
The Grosvenor Park Church of England Academy
Union Street, Chester, Union Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 1QP |
1.57 miles |
|
The Arches Community Primary School
Saughall Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5EZ |
1.61 miles |
|
Highfield Community Primary School
Blacon Point Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5LD |
1.62 miles |
|
Oldfield Primary School
Green Lane, Vicars Cross, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 5LB |
1.75 miles |
|
Cherry Grove Primary School
Cherry Grove Road, Chester, CH3 5EG |
1.77 miles |
|
St Oswald's CofE Primary School
Grove Road, Mollington, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6LG |
1.84 miles |
|
J H Godwin Primary School
Melbourne Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5JG |
2.08 miles |
|
Dee Point Primary School
Blacon Point Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5NF |
2.11 miles |
|
Boughton Heath Academy
Becketts Lane, Great Boughton, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 5RW |
2.12 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Upton-by-Chester High School
St James Avenue, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire, CH2 1NN |
0.69 miles |
|
The Hammond
Mannings Lane, Chester, CH2 4ES |
1.29 miles |
|
Maple Grove School
Clare Avenue, Chester, CH2 3HR |
1.32 miles |
|
Abbey School for Exceptional Children
10-12 Abbey Square, Chester, CH1 2HU |
1.46 miles |
|
The Queen's School
City Walls Road, Chester, CH1 2NN |
1.62 miles |
|
Chester International School
Queens Park Campus, Queens Park Road, Handbridge, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 7AE |
1.91 miles |
|
Queen's Park High School
Queens Park Road, Handbridge, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 7AE |
2.01 miles |
|
Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College
Melbourne Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5JH |
2.11 miles |
|
The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School
Vaughans Lane, Great Boughton, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 5XF |
2.19 miles |
|
Dee Banks School
Dee Banks, Sandy Lane, Deebanks School, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 5UX |
2.3 miles |
|
The Catholic High School, Chester
Old Wrexham Road, Handbridge, Chester, Cheshire, CH4 7HS |
2.49 miles |
|
Christleton High School
Village Road, Christleton, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 7AD |
3.05 miles |
|
The King's School
Wrexham Road, Chester, CH4 7QL |
3.2 miles |
|
The Whitby High School
Sycamore Drive, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH66 2NU |
3.6 miles |
|
iMap Centre
Unit 4a Barrowmore Estates, Barnhouse Lane, Great Barrow, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 7JA |
4.05 miles |
|
Archers Brook SEMH Residential School
Chester Road, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH66 2NA |
4.07 miles |
|
Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy
Capenhurst Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 7AQ |
4.13 miles |
|
Ellesmere Port Church of England College
164 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 6EA |
4.48 miles |
|
Abbey Gate College
Saighton Grange, Chester, CH3 6EN |
4.87 miles |