Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School is a small, welcoming community school where pupils are happy, feel cared for and achieve well. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it took place as a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given; the school was judged good in each key area and in early years. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, reading support is strong, pupils with SEND are identified promptly and included well, and behaviour and personal development are positive. Safeguarding is effective. Most subject teaching is clear and pupils often recall recent learning confidently, but in some subjects teachers do not consistently use strategies to help pupils remember earlier content, so pupils cannot always connect prior and current learning. In subjects where the curriculum and checks on learning are new, leaders have not yet used assessment information well enough to identify curriculum strengths and gaps in pupils' knowledge. Early years staff do not always help children link what they have been taught to independent learning. These are the main areas for improvement; governors, staff workload and well-being, and parent support are notable strengths.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and overwhelmingly positive parental support
• Caring staff and trusting relationships, including in early years
• Carefully designed, ambitious curriculum across subjects
• Pupils achieve well and can discuss detailed subject knowledge
• Effective reading teaching with personalised support for pupils who need extra help
• Prompt and accurate identification of SEND, with tailored support and full inclusion
• Good behaviour, respect and strong personal development, including British values and debate
• Effective governance and support for staff workload and well-being
• Well-sequenced PSHE and a range of leadership opportunities for pupils
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, teachers do not routinely use strategies to help pupils recall prior learning
• Pupils' recall of prior learning is inconsistent in those subjects, limiting connections between current and earlier learning
• In subjects with new curricula and assessment checks, leaders have not yet used information about pupils' knowledge to identify curriculum strengths and fill gaps
• Early years staff do not always help children link taught learning to independent learning

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 Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Furness Vale Primary and Nursery 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 Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School had 12.9 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, 12.5% of pupils at Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.9% 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 Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School received £10,164 and spent £10,292 for each of its 73 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £100,000 (£1,364 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 High Peak · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School have?

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School has 72 pupils on roll.

What age range does Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School cover?

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School?

Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School is at Buxton Road, Furness Vale, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 7PQ.