Dean CofE School
Dean, Workington, CA14 4TH
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE GOOD SHEPHERD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Joanne Laker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Carlisle
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- The Good Shepherd Multi Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Whitehaven and Workington
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 96
- URN
- 146756
- Local authority
- Cumberland
- Telephone
- 01946861408
About this school
Dean CofE School is a Church of England primary academy in Workington. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 96 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 7 | 12 | 11 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 57% | 50% | 45% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 9% |
| Expected standard in reading | 71% | 83% | 55% |
| Expected standard in maths | 86% | 67% | 45% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 71% | 83% | 55% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 103.0 | 101.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.00 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Dean CofE School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cumberland average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 57% | 53% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 50% | 52.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 45% | 54.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 94 |
| 2023/24 | 102 |
| 2024/25 | 98 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Dean CofE School compares
Dean CofE School ranked 84th of 111 primary schools in Cumberland for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 16% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 94% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 45% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 96 | — |
| Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy | 74% | 2.9% | 4.7% | 193 | 2.7 miles |
| St Bridget's CofE School | 47% | 3.8% | 13.8% | 82 | 3.0 miles |
| Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School | 67% | 5.1% | 42.3% | 93 | 3.3 miles |
| Broughton Primary School | 72% | 3.2% | 10.9% | 146 | 3.8 miles |
| Ashfield Junior School | 62% | 3.8% | 23.1% | 254 | 4.3 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 2.44%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 3.47%
- Persistent absence
- 5.8%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Eaglesfield Paddle CofE Primary Academy2.7 miles
Primary · Cockermouth
-
St Bridget's CofE School3.0 miles
Primary · Cockermouth
-
Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School3.3 miles
Primary · Workington
-
Broughton Primary School3.8 miles
Primary · Cockermouth
-
Ashfield Junior School4.3 miles
Primary · Workington
Other schools in Workington
Dean CofE School ranks 8th of the 12 ranked primary schools in Workington.
- Ashfield Infant & Nursery School Primary
- Ashfield Junior School Primary
- Beckstone Primary School Primary
- Derwent Vale Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Distington Community School Primary
- Northside Primary School Primary
- Seaton Academy Primary
- Seaton St. Paul's CofE Junior School Primary
- St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington Primary
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School Primary
- St Michael's Nursery and Infant School Primary
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Dean CofE School teach?
- Dean CofE School teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Workington.
- Who is the headteacher of Dean CofE School?
- The headteacher of Dean CofE School is Mrs Joanne Laker, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Dean CofE School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Dean CofE School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Dean CofE School?
- Dean CofE School has 96 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Dean CofE School full?
- Dean CofE School has capacity for 105 pupils and 96 on roll (91%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Dean CofE School a faith school?
- Yes. Dean CofE School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Carlisle.
- Does Dean CofE School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Dean CofE School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Dean CofE School?
- Dean CofE School is part of THE GOOD SHEPHERD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Dean CofE School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 57% in 2022/23 and 45% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Dean CofE School rank locally?
- Dean CofE School ranked 84th of 111 primary schools in Cumberland for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 16% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 94% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Dean CofE School's absence rate?
- Dean CofE School's overall absence rate is 3.5% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Dean CofE School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Dean CofE School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.