St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School

St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School is a small school that has recently undergone significant change. It has welcomed a sizeable group of pupils following the closure of another local school and has opened the 'Butterflies' enhanced resource base for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have managed these changes expertly, and attendance, behaviour, leadership and governance are all strong. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel happy, safe and well mannered. Pupils generally achieve well, especially in reading and phonics, although mathematics and writing outcomes have been weaker historically. Current pupils' mathematics is improving. The curriculum, teaching, early years, inclusion and personal development are all at the expected standard, with pupils with SEND making positive progress. The main areas for further development are ensuring staff can support disadvantaged pupils to overcome barriers to achievement and strengthening pupils' secure knowledge of fundamental British values and cultural diversity. Overall, the school is performing well and has a strong foundation, with some specific areas still to refine.

Strengths

• Attendance is consistently high and above national averages for all groups.
• New pupils from another local school have been quickly and smoothly integrated.
• The school is a calm, happy environment with very well-mannered pupils.
• Leaders have responded expertly to significant changes, including the new Butterflies enhanced resource base.
• Leadership is reflective, knowledgeable and uses strong systems and data analysis.
• Governors fulfil their strategic role effectively and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Parents strongly endorse the school, and staff are committed and value workload and wellbeing support.
• Pupils generally achieve well in national tests, particularly in reading and phonics.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced, well sequenced and taught well.
• Early reading is a well-established priority.
• Pupils with SEND make positive progress and are fully included.
• Early years provision is well designed, and children typically achieve a good level of development.
• The personal development programme is extensive, enriched by wide-ranging extra-curricular opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met within an open and positive culture.
• Pupils feel happy and safe, behave well and are self-motivated learners.

Areas for Improvement

• Mathematics results have been historically weaker and below national at the expected standard.
• Writing outcomes at the end of Year 6 are below national.
• Staff need training to support disadvantaged pupils in overcoming their specific barriers to learning.
• The personal development programme does not yet develop secure and detailed knowledge of fundamental British values and cultural diversity.
• Pupils can struggle to explain their learning about fundamental British values confidently.
• The current focus on improving writing and handwriting is still having an impact rather than being fully embedded.

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 St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.3% 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 St Hardulph's Church of England 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 St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School had 14.9 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, 8.6% of pupils at St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 19.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 11 pupils.

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 St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School received £11,161 and spent £13,124 for each of its 58 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £245,000 (-£4,225 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).

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What is St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School have?

St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School has 58 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School cover?

St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School?

St Hardulph's Church of England Primary School is at Main Street, Breedon-on-the-Hill, Derby, Derbyshire, DE73 8AN.