Unstone Junior School

Unstone Junior School is currently in need of special measures as it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. While the school successfully fosters a safe and respectful environment where pupils behave well and attend regularly, significant weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching quality have emerged. Leaders demonstrate an understanding of certain issues; however, their capacity to drive effective improvements is questioned. Although there is some evidence of individual pupil success, broader academic outcomes are hampered by a lack of consistency in teaching and assessment practices.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe.
• Positive relationships exist between staff and pupils.
• Pupils behave well in a calm and orderly environment.
• The school provides effective pastoral support for pupils.
• Pupils enjoy a variety of enrichment activities and clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Quality of teaching is inconsistent and does not adapt to meet all pupils' needs.
• Early reading support is inadequate, hindering pupil progress.
• Leaders lack an accurate understanding of curriculum weaknesses.
• Governance is ineffective in holding leaders accountable.
• Inconsistent support for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.

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 Unstone Junior School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.3% 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 Unstone Junior 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 Unstone Junior School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 59.2% of pupils at Unstone Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 Unstone Junior School received £11,867 and spent £12,041 for each of its 49 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £42,000 (£848 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 Dronfield · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Unstone Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Unstone Junior School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Unstone Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Unstone Junior School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Unstone Junior School have?

Unstone Junior School has 49 pupils on roll.

What age range does Unstone Junior School cover?

Unstone Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Unstone Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Unstone Junior School?

Unstone Junior School is at Main Road, Unstone, Dronfield, Derbyshire, S18 4AB.