Larklands Infant School, Ilkeston
Larklands Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Ilkeston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 64% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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 27 Oct 2026
Larklands Infant School in detail
Larklands Infant School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Larklands Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Larklands Infant School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 37 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Larklands Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Larklands Infant School are Kensington Junior Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 66% reading, 74% maths); Chaucer Infant School (0.4 miles); Chaucer Junior School (0.5 miles, 75% reading, 78% maths); and Field House Infant School (0.5 miles, Good).
Kensington Junior AcademyChaucer Infant SchoolChaucer Junior SchoolField House Infant School
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Larklands Infant School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
8.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 33 pupils (22.8%) received SEN support and 3 (2.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Larklands Infant School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ilkeston Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heathfield Avenue (e-bound), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 257 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Larklands Infant School issued 5 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Larklands Infant School are Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy (0.8 miles), Kirk Hallam Community Academy (1.1 miles) and Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.4 miles).
Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise AcademyKirk Hallam Community AcademySaint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy
Sources: 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
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 agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Staff and pupils are proud to work and learn at Larklands Infant School. The school is committed to giving every pupil the best start in life. The school is ambitious for all pupils. There is a sharp focus on refining the quality of education so that pupils can achieve in line with these high expectations. Pupils say they love to learn. They are achieving well. The number of pupils who meet the standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 is above the national average.
Pupils behave exceptionally well. They know they must always remember the school's big behaviour rule, 'kind hands, kind feet and kind lips'. They attentively follow instructions from staff. Pupils enjoy opportunities to help one another, to sing in assembly and to visit local places of interest, including local museums and libraries.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has changed its approach to teaching reading over the last two years. As a result, the teaching of early reading has improved significantly. Staff keep a close eye on any pupils who may need extra help with their reading and offer effective support. There is also a sharp focus on helping pupils secure strong basic skills in writing and mathematics. Staff have thought very carefully about the knowledge they want pupils to learn. This includes the vocabulary that pupils use on a daily basis. Pupils are achieving increasingly highly in all areas of the curriculum.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 Good at its December 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
31.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
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
Class Sizes
20.1
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Larklands Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Larklands Infant School.
- Ilkeston Kids Club790m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Larklands Infant School is a community 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 Larklands Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Larklands Infant 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)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- 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, 2 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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 Larklands Infant School
Will you get a place at Larklands Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Larklands Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Larklands Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Larklands Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Larklands Infant 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
64%
Available places
116 pupils
180 places
64 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ilkeston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ilkeston
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
24.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
145
Total Pupils
62
Boys
83
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,154
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,400
Per pupil
£902k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
14.8%
Persistent absence
81
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
Questions parents ask about Larklands Infant School
What is Larklands Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Larklands Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Larklands Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Larklands Infant 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 Larklands Infant School?
Larklands Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 64% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Larklands Infant School?
Classes at Larklands Infant School average 20.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Larklands Infant School?
Larklands Infant School has around 145 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Larklands Infant School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Larklands Infant School in 2024/25. 14.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Larklands Infant School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Larklands Infant 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.
Does Larklands Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Larklands Infant School: Ilkeston Kids Club (790m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Larklands Infant School's term dates?
Larklands Infant School is a community 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 Larklands Infant School?
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, 2 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 Larklands Infant School?
Larklands Infant School is at Park Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 5DR.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)