Pennine Way Junior Academy, Swadlincote
Pennine Way Junior Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Swadlincote, part of Embark Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 24 schools in Swadlincote with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pennine Way Junior Academy in detail
Pennine Way Junior Academy in its own words
In its own words: "On mobile devices please access 'Our School' options through the above menu. Thank you."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Pennine Way Junior Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 72% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Pennine Way Junior Academy
Across Derbyshire, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Derbyshire lodged 161 appeals against primary school offers; 108 reached a hearing and 13 succeeded (12% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pennine Way Junior Academy are Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St George's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, 60% reading, 43% maths); Albert Village Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 66% reading, 79% maths); and Belmont Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 71% reading, 59% maths).
Pennine Way Junior Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Church Gresley Infant and Nursery SchoolSt George's CofE Primary SchoolAlbert Village Primary SchoolBelmont Primary School
The trust
Pennine Way Junior Academy is one of 29 schools run by Embark Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
58 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pennine Way Junior Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 93% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (85%).
Who goes there
34.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Pennine Way Junior Academy.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Albert Road (opposite), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 180 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. 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, Pennine Way Junior Academy issued 21 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 Pennine Way Junior Academy are The Pingle Academy (0.8 miles), Granville Academy (1.4 miles) and Mercia Academy (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2019, 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pennine Way Junior Academy is a happy, welcoming place where pupils thrive. The school excels at supporting children's reading development through excellent teaching and carefully selected texts that introduce diverse cultures and themes. Parents especially appreciate how well the school helps pupils settle and succeed, with strong partnerships between home and school and excellent support for children with additional needs.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between home and school with excellent support for pupils starting in Year 3
- Effective teaching of reading with daily whole-class lessons and expressive modeling
- Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils build knowledge over time
- Positive school environment where pupils feel safe and proud
- Strong staff wellbeing and professional development supported by the trust
Areas for Improvement
- History and geography curriculum recently reorganized but teaching strategies for helping pupils remember knowledge are not yet fully developed
- Teaching and activities not always well adapted for pupils with SEND, partly due to staff lacking right expertise
- Pupils lack age-appropriate understanding of British values despite curriculum opportunities
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Disco dancing, fruity football, Joey's Garden quiet space
Pennine Way Junior Academy has maintained good standards since its previous inspection. The school is ambitious for all pupils and has taken effective action to support their learning, though some areas need further development.
At a Glance
34.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
58 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 remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 66% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.8
Avg class size
29.8
KS2
12
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Pennine Way Junior Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Pennine Way Junior Academy.
- Little Cherubs School Club630m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Pennine Way Junior 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 Pennine Way Junior Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pennine Way Junior 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
369 pupils
360 places
9 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Swadlincote
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Swadlincote
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.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
48
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
358
Total Pupils
177
Boys
181
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,009
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,164
Per pupil
£2151k
Total funding
£167k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
11.4%
Persistent absence
370
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
Pennine Way Junior Academy
Questions parents ask about Pennine Way Junior Academy
What are SATs results like at Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Of the pupils at Pennine Way Junior Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Pennine Way Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?
Pennine Way Junior Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Pennine Way Junior Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Pennine Way Junior 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 Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Pennine Way Junior Academy was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Classes at Pennine Way Junior Academy average 29.8 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Pennine Way Junior Academy has around 358 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pennine Way Junior Academy?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Pennine Way Junior Academy in 2024/25. 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Pennine Way Junior Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Pennine Way Junior Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Pennine Way Junior Academy: Little Cherubs School Club (630m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Pennine Way Junior Academy?
Pennine Way Junior Academy is at Pennine Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9EY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)