Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspection areas. The school has been proactive in creating a curriculum that broadens pupils' experiences and prepares them for their future education. Pupils show a high level of confidence, with encouraging feedback about the supportive environment fostered by staff. The school community is actively engaged, participating in local events and promoting values such as respect and democracy. However, there are identified gaps in the delivery of the curriculum for certain subjects, notably history and computing, which leaders are working to address.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and confident learners.
• Staff maintain high expectations and provide a supportive learning environment.
• Pupils have access to a broad curriculum with strong performance in reading, writing, and early years education.
• The curriculum is well-planned in subjects like mathematics and science.
• Pupils engage with the community through events and clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is not coherently planned for all subjects, particularly history and computing.

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 Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.3% 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 Darley Churchtown 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 Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School had 13.7 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, 22.0% of pupils at Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School received £10,540 and spent £9,886 for each of its 50 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £129,000 (£2,579 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 Matlock · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:

• All Saints CofE Junior School Matlock
• All Saints CofE Infant School Matlock
• St Giles Church of England Primary and Nursery School Matlock
• Bakewell CofE Infant School Bakewell
• Christ Church CofE Primary School Chesterfield
• Newbold CofE Primary School Chesterfield
• Turnditch Church of England Primary School Belper
• Bishop Pursglove CofE (A) Primary School Buxton
• Holbrook Church of England Primary School Belper
• William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School Belper

What is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School have?

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School has 41 pupils on roll.

What age range does Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School cover?

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School?

Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is at Church Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2GL.