Bamford Primary School

Bamford Primary School is a small school performing well overall. Pupils achieve well across a broad, ambitious curriculum, with secure foundations in reading and mathematics, and children in the early years get off to a positive start. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified early and supported effectively, attendance is consistently above national averages, and behaviour is strong. The school's inclusive ethos, pastoral support, enrichment provision and governance are notable strengths, and staff and parents are positive. Safeguarding standards are met. The school joined The Peak Federation in January 2024, and the partnership is already bringing benefits. However, writing and spelling are less well developed than other areas, although improving, and disadvantaged pupils' writing outcomes are below national averages. Leaders' quality checks are not sufficiently rigorous across all foundation subjects, so less effective practice in some curriculum areas is not always identified and addressed. The next steps are to continue strengthening the teaching of writing and spelling and to make curriculum monitoring consistently rigorous across the whole curriculum.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well across a broad, ambitious curriculum, especially in reading and mathematics.
• Early years provision is well designed and children make a positive start.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively.
• Disadvantaged pupils are well supported and access the full curriculum.
• Attendance is consistently above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Behaviour is strong; pupils are kind, focused and bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is well organised and teachers adapt learning to meet pupils' needs.
• Personal development is well designed, with strong coverage of British values, health and relationships.
• Enrichment and extra-curricular provision is broad and inclusive.
• Leadership and governance are effective, and staff and parents are positive.
• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.
• Pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing and spelling are less well developed than other areas and need further improvement.
• Disadvantaged pupils' writing outcomes are below national averages.
• Leaders' checks of some curriculum areas beyond reading, writing and mathematics are not rigorous enough.
• Less effective practice in some foundation subjects is not always identified and addressed.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bamford Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Bamford Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bamford Primary School had 14.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 31.2% of pupils at Bamford Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bamford Primary School received £10,980 and spent £11,072 for each of its 64 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £307,000 (£4,799 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hope Valley · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Bamford Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bamford Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Bamford Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bamford Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Bamford Primary School have?

Bamford Primary School has 64 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bamford Primary School cover?

Bamford Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Bamford Primary School?

Bamford Primary School is at Fidlers Well, Bamford, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S33 0AR.