Larklands Infant School

Larklands Infant School continues to uphold the standards established during its previous inspection, demonstrating effective action towards maintaining high educational quality. The school fosters a strong commitment to providing a positive learning environment, with staff and pupils expressing pride in their community. With a focus on improving reading instruction and the overall curriculum, pupils are achieving well and displaying exceptional behavior, indicating a supportive and engaging atmosphere for learning.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well in phonics and have strong basic skills in writing and mathematics.
• Exceptional pupil behavior and engagement in school activities.
• Strong support systems for pupils with SEND, with effective parent feedback.
• A rich and purposeful early years curriculum that prepares children well for Year 1.
• A commitment to staff wellbeing and support, creating a close-knit community.

Areas for Improvement

• Knowledge in some lessons is introduced too quickly and not broken down sufficiently.
• Attendance rates are currently below national levels, with some pupils persistently absent.

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 Larklands Infant School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.8% 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, 1.3% of pupils at Larklands Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Larklands Infant School had 19.2 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, 22.8% of pupils at Larklands Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Larklands Infant School received £9,146 and spent £9,120 for each of its 136 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £180,000 (£1,322 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 Ilkeston · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Larklands Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Larklands Infant School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Larklands Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Larklands Infant School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Larklands Infant School have?

Larklands Infant School has 145 pupils on roll.

What age range does Larklands Infant School cover?

Larklands Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Larklands Infant School?

Larklands Infant School is at Park Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5DR.