Derwent Primary School, Derby

Ofsted's report card from its 3 March 2026 inspection grades Derwent Primary School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard, 2 needs attention and 4 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have ensured that there is a clear programme to support pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Behaviour is mixed."

Early years - Needs attention. "The school has a clear and inclusive vision for the early years but it is not fully realised."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Many pupils do not achieve well at this school."

Curriculum and teaching - Urgent improvement. "The school has not done enough to tackle the weaknesses in how the curriculum is taught in this school."

Inclusion - Urgent improvement. "The systems in the school to support the most disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are not effective enough."

Leadership and governance - Urgent improvement. "Leaders have not done enough to bring about essential improvement at this school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Those responsible for governance must ensure that they develop leadership capacity so that all leaders have the skills that they need to make the necessary improvements swiftly and effectively"; "Those responsible for governance should ensure that they develop the knowledge and skills to hold leaders fully to account for their work"; "Leaders should ensure that the needs of disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known to social care and those who may have barriers to their learning, are identified carefully and that information to support these pupils is shared with all staff"; "Leaders should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to deliver the curriculum well and appropriately support all pupils so that they are able to overcome any barriers they may have to their learning and/or wellbeing"; "Leaders should make sure that pupils acquire the essential foundational knowledge needed to secure their future success, so that they achieve well across the curriculum and are ready for their next phase of learning"; "Leaders should continue to improve pupils' behaviour and ensure that the number of suspensions and exclusions reduces"; "Leaders should ensure that adults engage in high-quality interactions with pupils, particularly in the early years".

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Derwent Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 37% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 70% in Derby and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 47% in reading and 42% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 24 families put Derwent Primary School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Derwent Primary School are Beaufort Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 56% reading, 58% maths); Roe Farm Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 67% reading, 50% maths); Castleward Spencer Academy (0.8 miles, Outstanding); and St Alban's Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Derwent Primary School.

Derwent Primary School is one of 8 schools run by One Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Derwent Primary School (as of April 2026): 57% would recommend the school, 50% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (57%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).

49.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 31.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Black (15%) and Asian (10%).

Derwent Primary School had 21 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Derby Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cardigan Street (adjacent), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Derwent Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 654 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 Derby (267), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Derwent Primary School issued 21 suspensions, 6.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Derwent Primary School are Landau Forte College (0.6 miles); Da Vinci Academy (1 mile); UTC Derby Pride Park (1.1 miles); and Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.5 miles).