Kniveton CofE Primary School, Ashbourne
Kniveton CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Ashbourne. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 9 schools in Ashbourne with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kniveton CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Kniveton CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 100% in reading and 100% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Kniveton CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Kniveton CofE Primary School as their first choice and 24 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Kniveton CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kniveton CofE Primary School are Fitzherbert CofE (Aided) Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Ashbourne Primary School (2.7 miles); Brassington Primary School (2.7 miles, Good); and Parwich Primary School (3 miles, Good).
Fitzherbert CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolAshbourne Primary SchoolBrassington Primary SchoolParwich Primary School
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kniveton CofE Primary School (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 pupils behave well (94%).
Who goes there
10.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (21.8%) received SEN support and 2 (3.6%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Kniveton CofE Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Kniveton CofE Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (opposite), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kniveton CofE Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Kniveton offers a warm, family-like environment where children thrive both academically and personally. The school excels at supporting all learners, particularly those with additional needs, through skilled teaching and high expectations. Parents appreciate the nurturing approach and strong community spirit, with excellent outcomes by the end of Year 6.
Key Strengths
- Strong sense of community with pupils who are safe, happy and well-behaved
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, with teaching adapted to help them access the same curriculum as their peers
- Well-structured mathematics curriculum that builds knowledge over time with strong reasoning and application skills
- Consistent phonics teaching that helps pupils read fluently and confidently
- Early years children get off to a great start with engaging activities that support their personal and social development
Areas for Improvement
- Not all planned curriculum is being taught in full across all foundation subjects, meaning pupils' knowledge development is not as secure as it could be
- Governors do not have sharp, strategic oversight of the school and do not support or challenge leaders as effectively as they could
- Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn about fundamental British values such as democracy and the rule of law
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff who know pupils well and provide help when needed.
Extracurricular Activities
Carol celebration, charity fundraising, sporting opportunities, musical opportunities, creative activities, theatre trips, residential outdoor activity visits
Kniveton C of E Primary School has maintained good standards with a strong community ethos where pupils feel safe, happy and proud to attend. The school fosters ambition, independence and respect through well-planned teaching and a broad curriculum.
At a Glance
10.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 100% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 100% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.3
Avg class size
18.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kniveton CofE Primary School
Term dates
Kniveton CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Derbyshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Wednesday 22 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Thursday 6 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kniveton CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kniveton CofE Primary School 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Kniveton CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Kniveton CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kniveton CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kniveton CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kniveton CofE Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kniveton CofE Primary School for 2014 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
92%
Near capacity
58 pupils
63 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ashbourne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ashbourne
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
25.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
55
Total Pupils
29
Boys
26
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
9.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,241
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,946
Per pupil
£518k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
12.2%
Persistent absence
49
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Kniveton CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Kniveton CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 91% did so in maths.
What is Kniveton CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Kniveton CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kniveton CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Kniveton CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Derbyshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Kniveton CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 63 places.
How big are the classes at Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Classes at Kniveton CofE Primary School average 18.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Kniveton CofE Primary School has around 55 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kniveton CofE Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Kniveton CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 12.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Kniveton CofE Primary School 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.
What are Kniveton CofE Primary School's term dates?
Kniveton CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Derbyshire. In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Wednesday 22 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Thursday 6 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Kniveton CofE Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Derbyshire is 6 (the median across 454 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Kniveton CofE Primary School?
Kniveton CofE Primary School is at Ostrich Lane, Kniveton, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1JJ.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)