Hardwick Primary School

Hardwick Primary School is a happy, nurturing school where pupils feel safe and well cared for. Inspectors found high expectations for learning and behaviour, and pupils generally respond well: they are motivated, polite and keen to learn. The curriculum is well sequenced from the early years, and there is strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Personal development is a particular strength, with a well-crafted PSHE curriculum and a wide range of enriching experiences. Attendance is improving and persistent absence has reduced substantially, while safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has not previously been inspected under section 5. The school is part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, and leaders, trustees and the local academy committee were found to offer effective support and challenge. Published 2024 key stage 2 outcomes in reading and mathematics were below the national average, but the report notes that many pupils had only recently experienced the school's curriculum and that staff changes affected that cohort. Current pupils are achieving well across a range of subjects. The main areas for improvement are in a small number of subjects, where activities do not consistently help pupils meet the ambitious curriculum's aims, and in the early years, where routines and staff expectations are not consistently established. These issues can limit pupils' progress or lead to lost learning opportunities. Overall, the school is performing well, with notable strengths in personal development, inclusion and care.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and well cared for in a nurturing environment
• Staff know pupils well and pupils trust adults to help with concerns
• High expectations for learning and behaviour are met by pupils
• Pupils are motivated, polite and keen to learn
• The curriculum is well sequenced from the early years
• Oracy and language development are given high priority
• Phonics teaching is well targeted and begins promptly in Reception
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive bespoke support and become confident readers
• Pupils with SEND are identified skilfully and access the same ambitious curriculum
• Personal, social and health education is exceptionally well crafted
• Pupils have exemplary knowledge of values and protected characteristics
• A wide range of rich experiences broadens pupils' horizons
• Pupils take on responsibilities and contribute to school life and the wider community
• Behaviour is typically calm, caring and harmonious
• Attendance is rising and persistent absence has reduced drastically
• Leaders are mindful of staff workload and well-being
• Trustees and the local academy committee provide effective support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, activities do not consistently help pupils achieve the ambitious curriculum's aims
• Some pupils complete work that is not ambitious enough, limiting their progress
• Early years routines are not consistently well established
• Staff expectations in the early years are not always clear, leading to disengagement and lost learning opportunities
• Published 2024 key stage 2 reading and mathematics outcomes were below the national average, though current pupils are achieving well

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 Hardwick Primary School attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 30.3% 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 Hardwick 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 Hardwick Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.1% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Hardwick Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Hardwick Primary School received £7,964 and spent £8,143 for each of its 573 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £465,000 (£812 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

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

• Arboretum Primary School Derby
• Derby St Chad's CofE Nursery and Infant School Derby
• St James' Church of England Aided Junior School Derby
• Firs Primary School Derby
• Bishop Lonsdale Church of England Primary School and Nursery Derby
• Derby Cathedral 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 Hardwick Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hardwick Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Hardwick Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hardwick Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Hardwick Primary School have?

Hardwick Primary School has 589 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hardwick Primary School cover?

Hardwick Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hardwick Primary School?

Hardwick Primary School is at Dover Street, Derby, Derbyshire, DE23 6QP.