Dorney School

Following a previous inspection that required improvement, Dorney School now demonstrates good provision across all inspected areas. It is a friendly, nurturing school where pupils feel safe and happy, attend well, behave politely and benefit from strong pastoral care and a calm, orderly environment. Pupils follow an ambitious, broad curriculum enriched by woodland learning, trips, workshops and clubs, and most achieve successfully, including pupils with SEND, who are identified quickly and supported effectively. The school’s reading and phonics work is a particular strength: pupils practise with well-matched books, receive swift support and develop a genuine love of reading. English teaching is thoughtfully designed and pupils write imaginatively with good control, while early years staff develop children’s language and learning skilfully. Leadership is well supported by dedicated staff, proactive governors and trustees, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. There are still areas to sharpen. Some classroom activities are not closely focused on curriculum aims, so pupils do not always learn as deeply or quickly as they could. Expectations of writing and use of subject terminology are not applied consistently across subjects, and some pupils do not consistently show mutual respect or apply the school’s values, which can affect peer relationships.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral care helps pupils feel safe, happy and confident.
• Pupils are polite, courteous and form positive relationships with staff.
• An ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum builds on prior learning.
• High expectations are held for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively.
• Reading and phonics are taught well, with swift support for pupils who need it.
• Reading for pleasure is promoted successfully and pupils become avid readers.
• English lessons are thoughtfully designed and pupils write imaginatively.
• Enrichment includes trips, workshops, inter-faith work, clubs and performances.
• Pupils attend well and behaviour is calm and orderly.
• Reception children learn to play cooperatively and staff develop language skilfully.
• Personal development teaches health, safety, online safety, responsibility and service.
• Staff are dedicated and leaders prioritise professional development and well-being.
• Governors and trustees are proactive and committed to improvement.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some activities are not sharply focused on the key aims of the curriculum.
• Pupils do not always learn the curriculum in the depth or speed they could.
• Expectations of writing vary across the curriculum.
• Pupils do not consistently apply subject-specific vocabulary across subjects.
• At times, grammatical accuracy and quality of work are below pupils’ capabilities.
• Some pupils do not consistently appreciate difference or apply the school’s values.
• Relationships between pupils are not always as positive and inclusive as they could be.
• Mutual respect and tolerance need to be more consistently embedded.

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 Dorney School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.7% 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 Dorney 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 Dorney School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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, 19.6% of pupils at Dorney School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 2024–25 Dorney School received £6,686 and spent £6,782 for each of its 156 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £149,000 (£955 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Beeches Learning and Development Trust, income was £7,146 and spending £7,033 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 Maidenhead · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Dorney School is part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Burnham Grammar School Slough

What is Dorney School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dorney School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Dorney School last inspected by Ofsted?

Dorney School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Dorney School have?

Dorney School has 158 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dorney School cover?

Dorney School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Dorney School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dorney School?

Dorney School is at Harcourt Close, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 0DY.