Dearham Primary School

Dearham Primary School is performing well overall. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2012, when it was judged outstanding and later exempt from routine inspection. The school is now part of Changing Lives Learning Trust and has had a new headteacher since January 2024. Inspectors found a calm, caring and ambitious school where pupils achieve well across a broad curriculum, including pupils with SEND, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The curriculum is broad and well organised, with knowledge built carefully from the early years to Year 6. Reading is central to the curriculum, behaviour is strong, and pupils benefit from a wide programme of wider development activities and responsibilities. Leaders, trustees and governors understand the school accurately and have taken effective action, including improving mathematics after earlier leadership and staffing turbulence. However, pupils in Year 6 in 2024 did not achieve as well as they should have in mathematics because improvements came too late for them. A few areas still need refinement. Some mathematics adaptations for pupils with SEND do not consistently help them practise independently, and some new subject leaders are at an early stage in understanding the impact of their curriculum. In a very small number of subjects, leaders’ insight into curriculum impact is less developed, which limits further refinement. Overall, the school has a secure foundation and is continuing to improve.

Strengths

• Broad and ambitious curriculum is well sequenced from early years to Year 6
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum, with strong phonics and rich texts
• Pupils behave well in a calm and orderly school and are polite and respectful
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and generally supported effectively
• Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects, including pupils with SEND
• Exciting wider development programme includes cross-country, sewing and cookery
• Pupils take on responsibilities such as librarians, school councillors and house captains
• Leaders, trustees and governors have an accurate understanding of strengths and weaknesses
• Staff workload and well-being are considered in leadership decisions
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Attendance is improving successfully

Areas for Improvement

• Some mathematics adaptations for pupils with SEND do not consistently support independent practice and application
• Year 6 pupils in 2024 did not achieve as well as they should in mathematics because improvements came too late
• Some subject leaders are new and their understanding of curriculum impact is at an early stage
• In a very small number of subjects, insight into curriculum impact is less developed, limiting refinement
• Earlier leadership and staffing changes caused inconsistencies in provision, especially in mathematics

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 Dearham Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Dearham 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 Dearham Primary School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Dearham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.4% 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 2023–24 Dearham Primary School received £6,686 and spent £7,066 for each of its 224 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £294,000 (-£1,314 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Changing Lives Learning Trust, income was £7,328 and spending £7,847 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Maryport · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

Dearham Primary School is part of Changing Lives Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Flimby Primary School Maryport
• Arlecdon Primary School Frizington
• West Lakes Academy Egremont
• St Bees Village Primary School St Bees
• Thornhill Primary School Egremont
• Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith Penrith
• Kirkby Thore School Penrith
• Settlebeck School Sedbergh

What is Dearham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dearham Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Dearham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dearham Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Dearham Primary School have?

Dearham Primary School has 202 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dearham Primary School cover?

Dearham Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Dearham Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dearham Primary School?

Dearham Primary School is at The Went, Dearham, Maryport, Cumbria, CA15 7HR.