Morley Primary School, Ilkeston

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Morley Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Pupils enjoy school and value their education."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils learn the curriculum well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have adopted an ambitious curriculum with the breadth and balance needed to prepare pupils for the challenges of the secondary curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders establish effective partnerships with families."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Starting in the early years, leaders work with parents and carers to identify children's specific needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders precisely evaluate the quality of the school's work."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "An important pillar of leaders' ambition for pupils is their work to create ‘leaders of tomorrow'."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that teachers provide pupils with further opportunities to review prior learning so that they are supported to remember key knowledge in the long term. • Leaders should provide appropriate training and support for staff in the early years to further develop children's spoken language, to ensure that children achieve all that they are capable of".

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.

In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Morley Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Morley Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Morley Primary School are Stanley Common Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles, 71% reading, 43% maths); St Andrew's CofE Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 63% reading, 69% maths); Breadsall CofE VC Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths); and Parkview Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 93% reading, 93% maths).

Morley Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Morley Primary School is one of 7 schools run by Ace Derbyshire Trust, an academy trust.

31 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Morley Primary School (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

12.5% 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 (89%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 6 pupils (7.5%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Duffield Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brickkiln Lane (opposite), 30 metres away.

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).

Morley Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.