Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School, Ilkeston

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "The school prioritises the development of pupils' secure foundational knowledge and skills in communication and language, reading, writing and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The carefully designed, broad and balanced curriculum is taught well across all areas of the school."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for all children in the early years to make the best possible start."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders know the pupils well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know the school inside out."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is well designed, ambitious and relevant to its context and pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils' foundational knowledge and skills in writing are of an equal standard to those already achieved in reading and mathematics, and that pupils begin to apply these skills successfully across the wider curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils develop an age-appropriate secure understanding of fundamental British values and cultural diversity in modern Britain".

For September 2026 entry, 45 families put Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School are Cotmanhay Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 56% reading, 62% maths); Granby Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 55% reading, 58% maths); Charlotte Nursery and Infant School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); and Awsworth Primary and Nursery School (1.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 62% maths).

19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).

50.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 104 pupils (45.4%) received SEN support and 8 (3.5%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.

Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Ilkeston Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jolley Farmers (opposite), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 109 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School issued 4 suspensions, 1.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.