Poolsbrook Primary Academy

Poolsbrook Primary Academy has made significant strides since its affiliation with the Flying High Trust, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains in its first inspection. The school's commitment to creating an inclusive atmosphere where every pupil feels valued is evident, as is its focus on instilling high expectations for academic and personal success. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, though still at an early stage of full implementation, and supports pupils’ diverse learning needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit pride in their school environment.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-developed.
• Strong emphasis on early reading instruction.
• Clear and positive behavior expectations are established.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• A wide range of personal development opportunities for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not demonstrate high levels of engagement in learning.
• A minority of pupils lack enthusiasm for reading and do not choose to read for pleasure.

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 Poolsbrook Primary Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.5% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Poolsbrook Primary 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 Poolsbrook Primary Academy had 12.2 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, 20.3% of pupils at Poolsbrook Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.2% 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 Poolsbrook Primary Academy received £11,022 and spent £10,050 for each of its 68 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £17,000 (-£249 per pupil).

Across all 35 schools of Flying High Trust, income was £7,225 and spending £7,388 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

Poolsbrook Primary Academy is part of Flying High Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Hollingwood Primary School Chesterfield
• Walton Peak Flying High Academy Chesterfield
• The Flying High Academy Mansfield
• Forest Glade Primary School Sutton-In-Ashfield
• Peafield Lane Academy Mansfield
• Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School Sutton-In-Ashfield
• Whipman Woods Flying High Academy Worksop
• The Green Flying High Academy Alfreton
• Leamington Primary and Nursery Academy Sutton-In-Ashfield
• Greenwood Primary and Nursery School Nottingham

What is Poolsbrook Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poolsbrook Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Poolsbrook Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Poolsbrook Primary Academy was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Poolsbrook Primary Academy have?

Poolsbrook Primary Academy has 69 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poolsbrook Primary Academy cover?

Poolsbrook Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Poolsbrook Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Poolsbrook Primary Academy?

Poolsbrook Primary Academy is at Cottage Close, Poolsbrook, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3LF.