Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College is a council special school in Chester for boys and girls aged 4 to 19. It has 170 pupils. About 41 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Wealstone Lane, Upton, Chester, CH2 1HD01244 470134dorinpark.co.ukMrs Sarah Adam headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 3 July 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
15 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 12 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | – | – | – | – | 0.5 | 1.0 | 45.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | – | – | – | -1.59 | -1.59 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% | 42% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% | 63% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | – | – | – | – | 0.02 | 0.00 | 3.98 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% | 40% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | – | – | – | – | – | 1.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | – | – | – | – | – | 0.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | – | – | – | 0.5 | 0.7 | – | – |
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 7 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 2 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | 62% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | 6% | 8% |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -6.5 | -2.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -6.0 | -1.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | – | – | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
A level and sixth-form results, 2016
25 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Students | 25 |
| Average A level grade | NE |
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cheshire West and Chester council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, visual impairment.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Cheshire West and Chester with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (49), Severe learning difficulty (37), language and communications needs (30), Physical disability (23), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Other difficulty or disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 170 | 157 | 147 | 142 | 140 | 138 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 44% | 39% | 36% | 37% | 41% | 41% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 4% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 9% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 9.0% | 9.2% | 9.6% | 8.5% | 12.1% | 7.2% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.9% | 7.4% | 8.1% | 7.3% | 11.6% | 5.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.5% | 1.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 26.3% | 25.6% | 32.0% | 26.5% | 37.3% | 20.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 13 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2018/19 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 85% | 67% | 85% | 100% |
| Education | 77% | 67% | 85% | 100% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill View Primary School | Academy | 430 m | 242 | Outstanding 2024 | 99 | Compare |
| Upton Heath CofE Primary School | Academy | 570 m | 323 | Good 2024 | 41 | Compare |
| Upton Westlea Primary School | Academy | 580 m | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| The Firs School | Independent | 790 m | 144 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Ancora House School | Pupil referral unit | 980 m | 19 | Outstanding 2023 | – | Compare |
| Upton-by-Chester High School | Foundation | 0.7 miles | 1,728 | Not inspected | 69 | Compare |
| Newton Primary School | Council | 0.7 miles | 369 | Requires improvement 2023 | 18 | Compare |
| Acresfield Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 248 | Outstanding 2024 | 98 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College a good school?
Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in July 2024.
What is Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College good at its last full inspection on 3 July 2024.
How good are Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College have?
170 pupils aged 4 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026.
What is attendance like at Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College?
Pupils were in school 91.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is a special school for autism, hearing impairment, moderate learning difficulties, physical disability, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties, visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Dorin Park School & Specialist SEN College have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2016 was NE.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Wealstone Lane, Upton, Chester, CH2 1HD
- Telephone
- 01244 470134
- Website
- www.dorinpark.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Adam
- Type of school
- Council special school (Community special school, special schools)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 4-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Ward
- Upton
- Constituency
- Chester North and Neston
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 111511 · LAESTAB 8967118 · UKPRN 10015381
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.