Dunnington Church of England Primary School

About Dunnington Church of England Primary School

Dunnington Church of England Primary School is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 5 to 11, located in the York borough. With 181 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is not at full capacity, but demand is clearly strong. For the 2025/26 intake, the school offered 30 places and received 31 total applications, with 21 of those coming as first preferences — all 21 first-preference families received an offer. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.41, meaning for every place there were roughly 1.4 applicants. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 3.9%, well below the national average for primary schools (around 23%), suggesting a relatively affluent intake. The school has a Church of England religious character and is led by headteacher Clare Thompson. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2022, confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections.

Academically, Dunnington performs solidly above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — compared with a York LA average of 62%. The school ranks 19th out of 47 primaries in the local authority on this metric, placing it in the top 40% nationally. Reading is a particular strength: 91% of pupils met the expected standard, and 37% achieved a higher (greater depth) score, with an average scaled score of 108. Maths also performed well, with 86% at expected and an average score of 105. Writing was slightly lower, with 77% at expected and 14% at greater depth. The school does not have a sixth form, and there is no nursery provision on site. Ofsted’s graded inspection from 2012 rated leadership and management as Good, and the early years provision at that time was also Good.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including an ICT suite, art studios, a sports hall, an outdoor playground, a forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer include cross country, swimming, dance, tennis and netball, while clubs range from drama and gardening to eco club, choir and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Lord Deramore’s Primary School, 4.3 km away. Dunnington suits families who value a Church of England primary with strong reading outcomes, a relatively low FSM intake, and a range of enrichment activities — though the oversubscription means early application is advisable.

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