Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery

About Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery

Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery is a state primary in Westmorland and Furness that is noticeably oversubscribed, with 85 applications for its 30 reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round. That is a ratio of nearly three applicants per place, and 43 of those were first-preference choices, suggesting strong local demand. The school currently has 279 pupils on roll, which is well above its official capacity of 218, so it is clearly a popular choice for families in the area. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 4.7%, which is low compared with the national average and indicates a relatively affluent intake. The school also offers nursery provision for children from age two, which may be a practical draw for working parents. The headteacher is Peter Mills, and the school has no religious character, so it is a fully secular option for local families.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024 confirmed it remains Good overall, with a notable Outstanding rating for personal development. This is a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 45% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 58%. However, individual subject results were stronger: 71% met the expected standard in writing, 61% in reading, and 55% in maths. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. The school’s ranking in Westmorland and Furness places it in the bottom half of the 99 primary schools in the local authority, but the progress scores were not available in the data, so it is hard to judge how much value the school adds.

The school has a range of facilities including an outdoor playground, music rooms, an ICT suite, a gymnasium and a chapel, plus sports such as athletics, netball, football, cricket and swimming. Clubs include coding, science, gardening, chess and film club, which offer breadth beyond the core curriculum. For children with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing and visual impairments, and other disabilities. The nearest outstanding-rated school is Victoria Academy, 1.5 km away, which may be an alternative for families who prioritise that rating. Dane Ghyll is a good fit for families who value a strong personal development focus, a wide range of clubs and sports, and a school that is clearly in high demand locally, despite its middling academic rankings.

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