St Paul's CofE Primary School
St Paul's Road West, Dorking, RH4 2HS
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE GOOD SHEPHERD TRUST
- Acting Headteacher
- Mr Gary Papworth
- Diocese
- Diocese of Guildford
- Sponsor
- The Good Shepherd Trust
- Constituency
- Dorking and Horley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 397
- URN
- 151288
- Local authority
- Surrey
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01306883547
About this school
St Paul's CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Dorking. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 397 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Paul's CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out 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
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
This inspection took place when the school was registered as St Paul's CofE (Aided) Primary School (URN 125171).
How St Paul's CofE Primary School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.8% | 8.3% | 397 | — |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | — | — | — | — | 0.4 miles |
| Powell Corderoy Primary School | 70% | 5.8% | 9.4% | 196 | 0.7 miles |
| St Martin's CofE Primary School | 76% | 5.1% | 12.7% | 364 | 0.8 miles |
| St John's Church of England Primary School | 33% | 8.9% | 38.3% | 210 | 0.8 miles |
| Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School | 67% | 5.3% | 20.6% | 125 | 1.4 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)
- 8.33%
- English as an additional language
- 5.3%
- Overall absence
- 4.81%
- Persistent absence
- 11.78%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Dorking
-
Powell Corderoy Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Dorking
-
St Martin's CofE Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Dorking
-
St John's Church of England Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Dorking
-
Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Dorking
Other schools in Dorking
- Newdigate CofE Endowed Aided Infant School Primary
- Powell Corderoy Primary School Primary
- Scott-Broadwood CofE Infant School Primary
- St John's Church of England Primary School Primary
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Primary
- St Martin's CofE Primary School Primary
- St Michael's CofE Aided Infant School Primary
- Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School Primary
- The Weald CofE Primary School Primary
- Dorking Nursery School Nursery
- The Ashcombe School Secondary
- The Priory Church of England School Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does St Paul's CofE Primary School teach?
- St Paul's CofE Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Dorking.
- Who is the acting headteacher of St Paul's CofE Primary School?
- The acting headteacher of St Paul's CofE Primary School is Mr Gary Papworth, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Paul's CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Paul's CofE Primary 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 many pupils are at St Paul's CofE Primary School?
- St Paul's CofE Primary School has 397 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is St Paul's CofE Primary School full?
- St Paul's CofE Primary School has capacity for 420 pupils and 397 on roll (95%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Paul's CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. St Paul's CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Guildford.
- Does St Paul's CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Paul's CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is St Paul's CofE Primary School part of an academy trust?
- St Paul's CofE Primary School is part of THE GOOD SHEPHERD TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is St Paul's CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- St Paul's CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census.
- Does St Paul's CofE Primary School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for St Paul's CofE Primary School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 10 July 2026.