Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy has received its first inspection since becoming an academy in March 2018, and the overall effectiveness is rated as good. The school demonstrates a positive environment where pupils feel valued and secure, reflected in their enthusiastic attendance and pride in their roles, including participation in the school council. The quality of education is strong, with a well-planned curriculum and effective phonics program that supports pupils in developing their reading skills. Notably, children start early in their learning journey, and those with special educational needs receive well-tailored support.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending school and have positive attendance rates.
• The phonics program is effective, helping pupils become fluent readers.
• The curriculum is well planned and sequenced across subjects.
• Pupils with SEND receive tailored support and attention.
• Staff create a caring environment, fostering strong relationships between pupils and adults.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects do not clearly identify the most important information for pupils to remember.
• Minor inconsistencies exist in how effectively teachers deliver the curriculum.
• The curriculum for children from the age of two has not been thoroughly developed.

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 Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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 Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant 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 Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 62.1% 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, 8.8% of pupils at Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 2023–24 Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy received £7,357 and spent £10,270 for each of its 78 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £172,000 (-£2,206 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Minerva Learning Trust, income was £7,256 and spending £7,603 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 Chesterfield · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy is part of Minerva Learning Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Dunston Primary and Nursery Academy Chesterfield
• Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield
• Netherthorpe School Chesterfield
• Woodthorpe Primary School Sheffield
• High Storrs School Sheffield
• Handsworth Grange Community Sports College Sheffield
• Chapeltown Academy Sheffield
• Ecclesfield School Sheffield
• Stocksbridge High School Sheffield

What is Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy have?

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy has 68 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy cover?

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy?

Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy is at Scarsdale Road, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8NF.