Chaucer Junior School, Ilkeston

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 711

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~401m)Possible (~573m)Unlikely (~745m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Tiffany Smith
Pupils:233 / 240 capacity
LA:Derbyshire
Phone:01159324387
Address:Cranmer Street, Ilkeston, DE7 5JH
Trust:EMBARK MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2020

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 1 April 2025View full report
URN:147748
UKPRN:10085828
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Erewash
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Chaucer Junior School creates a warm, safe environment where children feel valued and listened to. Teachers use clear teaching methods to help pupils succeed, and the school strongly supports reading with trained staff helping children who need extra help. Beyond academics, the school helps children develop strong character, confidence and understanding of healthy relationships and respect for others.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve well with high expectations for behaviour and learning - they enjoy school and take genuine pride in it
  • Reading is a priority with well-trained staff providing targeted support to help pupils catch up quickly and read with fluency
  • Teachers use clear explanations, modelling and skilled strategies to check understanding, helping pupils develop secure foundational knowledge in writing, grammar, mathematics and number facts
  • Personal development is a strong focus - pupils understand how to stay healthy, emotionally well and have thoughtful understanding of British values, equality and respect
  • School quickly identifies pupils' needs including those with SEND and provides well-judged support without lowering expectations

Areas for Improvement

  • In some foundation subjects, the work set by teachers sometimes focuses on creativity rather than curriculum aims, meaning some pupils don't secure the intended knowledge and skills
  • School should ensure teaching tasks match curriculum goals so all pupils can learn the intended content in depth

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff knowing pupils well, noticing when something seems wrong, and pupils feeling they have someone to talk to.

Extracurricular Activities

Monster feet racing at lunchtime, garden help activities

Chaucer Junior School has maintained its good standards from the previous inspection. Pupils describe it as fun and friendly, with strong relationships between staff and students who live out the school's core values of appreciation, aspiration, cooperation, kindness, resilience and tolerance.

At a Glance

48.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

30 responses
Would recommend97%
Child is happy97%
Well taught100%
Good progress100%
Feels safe93%
Well behaved90%
Bullying dealt with23%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns60%
Wider development93%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+4ppMathsWriting-7pp

Reading has improved from 71% to 75%. Maths has remained stable at around 78%. Writing has declined from 79% to 72%.

Class Sizes

29.0

Avg class size

29.0

KS2

8

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Ilkeston Rail Station (Entrance)
852m · 14 min walk

Bus Stops

Wood Street (opp)
180m · 3 min walk
Albion Street (Adj)
210m · 3 min walk
Taylor Street (Opp)
238m · 4 min walk
Bath Street (Stop 3)
292m · 5 min walk
Canal Street (Opp)
328m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

97%

Near capacity

233 pupils

240 capacity

7 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Ilkeston

Medium pressure
New homes approved:992
Projected new pupils:248

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ilkeston

Admissions Demand - Derbyshire

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

9,886

Applications

7,225

Got 1st preference

96.4%

Got preferred school

99.2%

Primary admissions across Derbyshire (2025/26)

Inspection History

1 April 2025

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.71097%

Overall absence

9.66387%

Persistent absence

238

Enrolments

Authorised3.97081%
Unauthorised0.74016%
Persistent (10%+)9.66387%
Severe (50%+)1.2605%

Absence trend

2.73666%
20/21
5.9402%
21/22
5.27736%
22/23
4.44415%
23/24
4.71097%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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