Firs Primary School

Firs Primary School demonstrates a good overall performance, marked as an inclusive and welcoming environment for both pupils and families. The school's proactive approach ensures that students feel safe and valued, notably supporting those who may require additional help, including newcomers and those who speak English as an additional language. With effective leadership, the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to build knowledge over time, contributing to students’ enjoyment of learning and their positive attitudes towards school. This is particularly reflected in the school's strong emphasis on reading, where successful strategies help pupils become fluent readers and engage with literature enthusiastically.

Strengths

• Inclusive and welcoming environment for all pupils.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Effective curriculum planning that sequentially builds knowledge.
• High-quality individual learning plans for pupils.
• A whole-school culture prioritizing reading with structured phonics teaching.
• Positive behavior and attitudes among pupils.
• Staff provide compassionate support to families.
• Successful initiatives for spiritual, moral, social, and cultural understanding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects lack effective use of assessment information.
• Gaps in knowledge for some pupils due to prior learning not being revisited.
• High levels of regular absenteeism remain a concern.

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 Firs Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.5% 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 Firs 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 Firs Primary School had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Firs Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Firs Primary School received £8,223 and spent £7,766 for each of its 449 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £637,000 (£1,421 per pupil).

Across all 33 schools of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, income was £7,661 and spending £7,414 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 Derby · Derby local authority: places and applications

Firs Primary School is part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

• Bishop Lonsdale Church of England Primary School and Nursery Derby
• Derby St Chad's CofE Nursery and Infant School Derby
• Derby Cathedral School Derby
• Hardwick Primary School Derby
• Arboretum Primary School Derby
• St James' Church of England Aided Junior School Derby
• St Peter's Church of England Aided Junior School Derby
• Griffe Field Primary School Derby
• Walter Evans Church of England Aided Primary School Derby
• St Werburgh's CofE Primary School Derby

What is Firs Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Firs Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Firs Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Firs Primary School was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Firs Primary School have?

Firs Primary School has 469 pupils on roll.

What age range does Firs Primary School cover?

Firs Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Firs Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 30% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Firs Primary School?

Firs Primary School is at Raven Street, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 3WA.