Pennine Way Junior Academy

Pennine Way Junior Academy is performing well overall, demonstrating good quality in education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership. The school has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, where it was rated as requiring improvement. Pupils express joy and excitement about attending school, indicating a supportive environment where they feel valued. There is a strong emphasis on individual care, and parents appreciate the dedication of staff to help children thrive. Noteworthy strengths include an enriching curriculum that encourages sports, music, and exposure to various cultures and faiths.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high levels of enjoyment and engagement in learning.
• Strong emphasis on sports and music education with exemplary provision.
• Effective behaviour management systems contribute to a positive learning environment.
• High expectations and effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Inclusive practices ensuring all pupils receive equal opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle with reading fluency and decoding skills.
• Reading materials do not always match pupils' phonics knowledge.
• Further development needed in history and geography curriculums.

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 Pennine Way Junior Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Pennine Way Junior Academy 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 Pennine Way Junior Academy had 21.0 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, 13.4% of pupils at Pennine Way Junior Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% 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 2024–25 Pennine Way Junior Academy received £9,237 and spent £6,909 for each of its 370 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £8,000 (£21 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Embark Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,703 and spending £7,965 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Swadlincote · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Pennine Way Junior Academy is part of Embark Multi Academy Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• St George's CofE Primary School Swadlincote
• Longford CofE Primary School Ashbourne
• Draycott Community Primary School Derby
• Ladywood Primary School Ilkeston
• Horsley Woodhouse Primary School Ilkeston
• Field House Infant School Ilkeston
• Richardson Endowed Primary School Ilkeston
• Kilburn Junior School Belper
• Chaucer Infant School Ilkeston
• Chaucer Junior School Ilkeston

What is Pennine Way Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pennine Way Junior Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Pennine Way Junior Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Pennine Way Junior Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Pennine Way Junior Academy have?

Pennine Way Junior Academy has 358 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pennine Way Junior Academy cover?

Pennine Way Junior Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Pennine Way Junior Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pennine Way Junior Academy?

Pennine Way Junior Academy is at Pennine Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9EY.