Milford Primary School, Belper
Milford Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Belper. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 13 schools in Belper with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 72% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- 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
Milford Primary School in detail
Milford Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Milford Primary School is a small, friendly school in the heart of Milford. We pride ourselves on the family ethos that runs throughout the school. We had our most recent OFSTED inspection in December 2024 when we maintained a 'Good' grade."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care until 6:00pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Milford Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 93% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Milford Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Milford Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 13 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 Milford Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Milford Primary School are Holbrook Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths); William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 100% reading, 94% maths); Herbert Strutt Primary School (1 mile, Good, 82% reading, 86% maths); and Duffield the Meadows Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 98% reading, 90% maths).
Milford Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Holbrook Church of England Primary SchoolWilliam Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary SchoolHerbert Strutt Primary SchoolDuffield the Meadows Primary School
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Milford Primary School (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
10% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 15 pupils (18.8%) received SEN support and 1 (1.3%) 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
Milford Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Duffield Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Strutt Arms (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50).
Suspensions and exclusions
Milford Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
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 June 2016, 10 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 Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Milford Primary excels at building confident, fluent readers through excellent phonics teaching and exposure to diverse, high-quality texts. The school provides exceptional support for children with additional needs, helping them to self-regulate and be ready to learn. Beyond academics, the school prioritises enrichment experiences and character development, taking pupils on trips to the theatre, wildlife parks, and space centres, while also running forest school sessions that build self-confidence and teamwork.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and love of reading developed through high-quality texts and author visits
- Excellent support for pupils with additional needs through early identification and effective strategies including sensory circuits and nurture classroom support
- Calm, purposeful behaviour throughout the school with pupils reflecting school values of care, share, respect and learn
- Wide range of enrichment opportunities including theatre trips, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, National Space Centre, and forest school to build character and broaden horizons
- Warm, trusting relationships between staff and pupils creating a happy and safe learning environment
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, key knowledge is not revisited frequently enough, making it difficult for pupils to remember information needed for new learning
- Subject leaders have not fully evaluated how well the curriculum is being implemented and how well pupils are achieving, meaning some learning gaps and high-achieving pupils are not identified quickly enough
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre trips, Yorkshire Wildlife Park visits, National Space Centre visits, forest school, author visits, termly learning heroes 'have a go' challenges, Guinness Book of World Records poetry lesson, sports competitions, breakfast club, after-school club
Milford Primary School is a kind and caring school at the heart of its community where pupils are friendly, polite, and have positive attitudes to learning. The school has maintained good standards and provides an ambitious curriculum with high expectations for every pupil.
At a Glance
10.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
34 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 93% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 71% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 57% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
16.0
Infant (KS1)
25.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Milford Primary School
Term dates
Milford Primary 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 Milford Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Milford 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)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Milford Primary School
Will you get a place at Milford Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Milford Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Milford Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Milford 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 Milford 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
72%
Available places
76 pupils
105 places
29 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Belper
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Belper
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
80
Total Pupils
30
Boys
50
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
11.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,443
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,670
Per pupil
£600k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
13.5%
Persistent absence
74
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
Milford Primary School
Questions parents ask about Milford Primary School
What are SATs results like at Milford Primary School?
Of the pupils at Milford Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Milford Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Milford Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Milford Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Milford 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 Milford Primary School?
Milford Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Milford Primary School?
Classes at Milford Primary School average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Milford Primary School?
Milford Primary School has around 80 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Milford Primary School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Milford Primary School in 2024/25. 13.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Milford Primary School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Milford 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 Milford Primary School's term dates?
Milford Primary 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 Milford Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Milford Primary School?
Milford Primary School is at Chevin Road, Milford, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 0QH.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)