Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School

Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School is performing well overall, having been graded as good in all key areas during its latest inspection. The small school environment fosters strong, trusting relationships between pupils and staff, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere. With high expectations for student achievement, including for those with special educational needs, pupils engage enthusiastically and typically perform well. The school has recently revamped its curriculum, which is ambitious and carefully tailored to meet the needs and interests of pupils, although there are still some areas that require further refinement.

Strengths

• Strong and trusting bonds between pupils and staff.
• High expectations for pupil achievement, including for those with SEND.
• Wide range of enrichment activities beyond the academic curriculum.
• Effective identification and support for pupils’ additional needs.
• Investment in high-quality and engaging reading materials.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum refinement is needed in a few subjects and early years.
• Assessment approaches are underdeveloped in some subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 0.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School had 11.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.3% of pupils at Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School received £13,475 and spent £13,228 for each of its 30 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £33,000 (£1,107 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School has 30 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Laning, Dent, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5QJ.