Scargill CofE Primary School

Scargill CofE Primary School is a warm, nurturing and well-led school where pupils are expected to achieve well and do so. Inspectors found strong provision across the curriculum, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years, with effective safeguarding. The school has moved on from its previous requires improvement judgement and leaders have addressed the weaknesses identified at the last inspection. It is part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, and under current inspection arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was given. The curriculum is generally well structured and builds cumulatively, helping pupils remember and use prior learning. Reading is a particular strength in the early stages, with a well-planned phonics programme and strong support for pupils who fall behind, including those with SEND. Pupils are polite, respectful and eager to contribute, and personal development provision is strong. There are two main areas for improvement. In a small number of cases, teaching is not aligned precisely enough to the curriculum, so pupils’ recall is inconsistent in a few subjects. Beyond phonics, the reading curriculum is not fully sequenced and does not make clear what aspects of reading pupils should learn through the books they study.

Strengths

• Warm, nurturing and supportive community with high expectations for all pupils
• Pupils achieve well and have an impressive understanding of British Values
• Pupils are polite, courteous and highly respectful
• Behaviour is positive, with rewards valued and sanctions rarely needed
• Pupils are eager to contribute and take pride in roles such as creating the sensory garden
• Leadership and management are strong at all levels, including trust and local academy board
• Leaders addressed weaknesses from the previous inspection quickly and effectively
• Staff are dedicated, talented and share an uncompromising vision
• Leaders are considerate of staff workload and well-being
• The curriculum is well structured and builds cumulatively across most subjects and early years
• The ‘revisit, remember and respond’ approach helps pupils recap prior learning
• Phonics is well planned and early reading is strong, with no pupil slipping through the net
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported
• Personal development provision is strong, including PSHE and mental health support
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of cases, lessons are not aligned precisely enough to the curriculum, leading to inconsistent pupil recall in a few subjects
• The reading curriculum beyond phonics is not fully sequenced and does not make clear what aspects of reading pupils should learn through the books they study

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 Scargill CofE Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.9% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Scargill CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Scargill CofE Primary School had 24.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% 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, 20.8% of pupils at Scargill CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Scargill CofE Primary School received £6,579 and spent £6,645 for each of its 301 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £156,000 (£518 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 Ilkeston · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

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

• Stanley Common Church of England Primary School Ilkeston
• Loscoe CofE Primary School and Nursery Heanor
• St Werburgh's CofE Primary School Derby
• Holbrook Church of England Primary School Belper
• Walter Evans Church of England Aided Primary School Derby
• William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School Belper
• St James' Church of England Aided Junior School Derby
• Derby Cathedral School Derby
• Arboretum Primary School Derby
• Derby St Chad's CofE Nursery and Infant School Derby

What is Scargill CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Scargill CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Scargill CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Scargill CofE Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Scargill CofE Primary School have?

Scargill CofE Primary School has 279 pupils on roll.

What age range does Scargill CofE Primary School cover?

Scargill CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 35% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Scargill CofE Primary School?

Scargill CofE Primary School is at Beech Lane, West Hallam, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 6GU.