Crich Carr CofE Primary School

Crich Carr CofE Primary is a small, happy and caring church school where pupils feel safe, behave exceptionally well and are highly motivated to learn. The inspection found strong provision across the curriculum, early years, personal development and leadership, with no overall effectiveness grade awarded under the current framework. Pupils achieve well, reading and phonics are taught strongly, and pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively. The school has an ambitious curriculum and staff have secure subject knowledge. Pupils benefit from rich wider opportunities, including music, sport, visits and residentials, and parents speak very positively about recent changes. Leadership is focused on the right priorities, governors hold leaders to account well, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is personal development around faiths and cultures. Because the curriculum has not been fully implemented in this respect, some pupils do not yet have a firm understanding of a range of different faiths and cultures, which means they are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and are highly motivated to learn.
• Behaviour and attitudes are exceptional across the school.
• Staff have high expectations and pupils achieve well.
• Provision for pupils with SEND has been strengthened and is effective.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and relevant to the community.
• Reading and phonics are taught consistently well, with strong early focus.
• Early years provision is well planned and prepares children well for Year 1.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment, music, sport and visits.
• Leadership is tenacious, focused on the right priorities and supported by effective governance.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not have a firm understanding of a range of different faiths and cultures.
• The curriculum for faiths and cultures is not yet fully implemented, so pupils are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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 Crich Carr CofE Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Crich Carr CofE 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 Crich Carr CofE Primary School had 19.4 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, 26.2% of pupils at Crich Carr CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 14.3% 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 Crich Carr CofE Primary School received £11,406 and spent £12,000 for each of its 40 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £27,000 (-£682 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 Matlock · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

What is Crich Carr CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Crich Carr CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Crich Carr CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Crich Carr CofE Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Crich Carr CofE Primary School have?

Crich Carr CofE Primary School has 42 pupils on roll.

What age range does Crich Carr CofE Primary School cover?

Crich Carr CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

Where is Crich Carr CofE Primary School?

Crich Carr CofE Primary School is at Main Road, Whatstandwell, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5EF.