Alvaston Junior Academy, Derby
Alvaston Junior Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Derby, part of The Harmony Trust Ltd. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 81st-highest of the 86 schools in Derby with published results, and 13,886th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Capacity
- 93% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Alvaston Junior Academy in detail
Alvaston Junior Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Provide excellent primary education that provides breadth and rigour 'every child, every subject, every year group, every day'. Prepare children for the next phase of education and for later life. Ensure that parents are 'partners in learning' and in the life of the Academy and the Trust."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £4.50 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at Alvaston Junior Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 45% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Derby and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 65% in reading and 57% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Alvaston Junior Academy
Across Derby, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Derby lodged 312 appeals against primary school offers; 223 reached a hearing and 35 succeeded (15.7% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Alvaston Junior Academy are Alvaston Infant and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 61% maths); Oakwood Infant and Nursery School (0.4 miles, Good); and Oakwood Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 74% reading, 74% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Alvaston Junior Academy.
Alvaston Infant and Nursery SchoolSt John Fisher Catholic Voluntary AcademyOakwood Infant and Nursery SchoolOakwood Junior School
The trust
Alvaston Junior Academy is one of 17 schools run by The Harmony Trust Ltd, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
43.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (10%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 72 pupils (22.1%) received SEN support and 23 (7.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Alvaston Junior Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Spondon Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Lodge (opposite), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alvaston Junior Academy issued 12 suspensions, 3.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Alvaston Junior Academy are Alvaston Moor Academy (1 mile) and Noel-Baker Academy (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils recognise and appreciate the positive relationships they have with staff. They receive high-quality pastoral support. Pupils know that they must be kind and respect others. They understand that everyone is different, but equal. They know they can speak to a trusted adult about a worry, no matter how small. Pupils feel safe and happy. They enjoy attending this school.
All pupils benefit from studying the broad and ambitious 'inspire curriculum', however teaching of the curriculum is not always consistently high quality.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
All pupils benefit from studying a broad curriculum. The school has defined the aims they want pupils to achieve in each subject and in each year group. This is commonly known at the school as 'crucial curriculum content'. Units of work are logically organised so that pupils can build on the learning they have undertaken before. However not all teachers, understand what this means in practice. They do not always sharply focus on what is most important for pupils to grasp in each lesson. Those responsible for curriculum leadership are at the early stages of understanding how to monitor and evaluate teaching and the curriculum's impact on pupils' learning. As a result, there is not always a sharp understanding of the improvements to prioritise for each subject.
Reading is a priority at this school. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as pupils who are at an earlier stage of reading, benefit from an age-appropriate phonics curriculum. Teachers deliver the reading curriculum consistently. This helps pupils become better readers and access the wider curriculum. Pupils read widely and often and develop an appreciation for books.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
43.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 65% to 55% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 57% to 45% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.1
Avg class size
25.1
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Alvaston Junior Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Alvaston Junior Academy.
- Junior Adventures Group @ Oakwood DE24680m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Wyndham DE24860m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Oakwood DE24940m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alvaston Junior Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alvaston Junior Academy is in Derby; for families living there:
Apply to Derby for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
336 pupils
360 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Derby council
Places available
3,564
Applications
2,643
Got 1st preference
94.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Derby council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
72
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
29.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Alvaston Junior Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
326
Total Pupils
182
Boys
144
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
19.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,553
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,368
Per pupil
£2102k
Total funding
£214k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
14.8%
Persistent absence
352
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Alvaston Junior Academy
Questions parents ask about Alvaston Junior Academy
What are SATs results like at Alvaston Junior Academy?
Of the pupils at Alvaston Junior Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 45% did so in maths.
What is Alvaston Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?
Alvaston Junior Academy was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Alvaston Junior Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Alvaston Junior Academy is oversubscribed, Derby allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alvaston Junior Academy?
Alvaston Junior Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at Alvaston Junior Academy?
Classes at Alvaston Junior Academy average 25.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Alvaston Junior Academy?
Alvaston Junior Academy has around 326 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Alvaston Junior Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Alvaston Junior Academy has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 12 places, 11 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Alvaston Junior Academy?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Alvaston Junior Academy in 2024/25. 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alvaston Junior Academy?
Apply through Derby's coordinated admissions process, naming Alvaston Junior Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Alvaston Junior Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Alvaston Junior Academy: Junior Adventures Group @ Oakwood DE24 (680m away, registered, not yet graded), Junior Adventures Group @ Wyndham DE24 (860m away, registered, not yet graded) and Junior Adventures Group @ Oakwood DE24 (940m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Alvaston Junior Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alvaston Junior Academy?
Alvaston Junior Academy is at Elvaston Lane, Alvaston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 0PU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)