John King Infant Academy, Pinxton
John King Infant Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Pinxton, part of Flying High Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. It was 72% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
John King Infant Academy in detail
Getting a place at John King Infant Academy
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put John King Infant Academy as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at John King Infant Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to John King Infant Academy are Kirkstead Junior Academy (0.1 miles, Good, 95% reading, 93% maths); Longwood Infant Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding); The Brigg Infant School (1.1 miles); and Glebe Junior School (1.2 miles).
Kirkstead Junior AcademyLongwood Infant AcademyThe Brigg Infant SchoolGlebe Junior School
The trust
John King Infant Academy is one of 39 schools run by Flying High Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about John King Infant Academy (as of September 2025): 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 the school supports their child's wider development (73%).
Who goes there
37.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 8 pupils (8.9%) received SEN support and 1 (1.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Alfreton Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King Street (adjacent), 20 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, John King Infant Academy issued 6 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to John King Infant Academy are Frederick Gent School (0.7 miles) and Selston High School (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is an inspirational school where pupils flourish and learning comes alive. Pupils who were asked to describe their school used words such as 'amazing', 'beautiful' and 'brilliant'. They understand that 'we are here to learn'. They are rightly proud of their achievements.
Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They are kind and caring towards each other and respectful to adults. They are enthusiastic and attentive in lessons. Pupils understand the importance of trying hard and not giving up if something is tricky to learn. Pupils take great care when presenting their work and the quality of their work in books is impressive.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's highly ambitious curriculum is fully planned and sequenced in all subjects. It has been designed to enable pupils to 'LEAP' into learning, by being 'Language rich, Experiential, Aspirational and Purposeful'. The school has carefully considered the specific needs and context of the pupils when planning the curriculum. For example, the 'learning mine' approach to knowledge and skills is a mark of respect to the community's proud former mining heritage. In lessons, pupils are encouraged to 'dig into knowledge' as they apply what they know to new skills and concepts.
Staff have expert subject knowledge. They understand very well how young children learn. Teachers give clear explanations and constantly check pupils' understanding. For example, in mathematics, pupils could confidently explain what they were learning. They knew that a pictogram is 'a picture that has a key to help you find the answers.' In history, pupils were fascinated to learn about a wide range of famous people from the past. If something is tricky, an adult will quickly step in or offer a practical resource to support learning.
From Ofsted's June 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 Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
37.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with John King Infant Academy
Term dates
John King Infant Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Derbyshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to John King Infant Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. John King Infant Academy is in Derbyshire; for families living there:
- Derbyshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policy 2026 to 2027 - 465KB
- How to apply: Apply for home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
4 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 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
Your chances of a place at John King Infant Academy
Will you get a place at John King Infant Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against John King Infant Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for John King Infant Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to John King Infant Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at John King Infant Academy for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Derbyshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
72%
Available places
108 pupils
150 places
42 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Pinxton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pinxton
Across Derbyshire council
Places available
9,875
Applications
7,189
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across Derbyshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
10.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
90
Total Pupils
48
Boys
42
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,855
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,220
Per pupil
£758k
Total funding
£58k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
77
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
John King Infant Academy
Questions parents ask about John King Infant Academy
What is John King Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?
John King Infant Academy was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for John King Infant Academy?
No fixed boundary. When John King Infant Academy is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at John King Infant Academy?
John King Infant Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at John King Infant Academy?
Classes at John King Infant Academy average 30 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to John King Infant Academy?
John King Infant Academy has around 90 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at John King Infant Academy?
6.2% of sessions were missed at John King Infant Academy in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to John King Infant Academy?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming John King Infant Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near John King Infant Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 4 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 Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is John King Infant Academy?
John King Infant Academy is at Church Street West, Pinxton, Derbyshire, NG16 6NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)