Ripley Infant School, Ripley
Ripley Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Ripley. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024. It was 95% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Ripley Infant School in detail
Ripley Infant School in its own words
In its own words: "Ripley Infant School is a small school in the centre of Ripley, Derbyshire. There are currently 169 pupils on roll. Children are organised over a Foundation Stage unit and four KS1 classes. The school has achieved the National Healthy Schools Status, Active Mark, Derbyshire School Sport Gold Award, Eco Schools Silver Award, FMSiS and Quality Mark 4."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Ripley Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Ripley Infant School as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ripley Infant School are Ripley Junior School (under 0.1 miles); Lons Infant School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement); Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery (0.8 miles, Good, 71% reading, 75% maths); and Waingroves Primary School (1.1 miles, 84% reading, 71% maths).
Ripley Junior SchoolLons Infant SchoolRipley St John's Church of England Primary School and NurseryWaingroves Primary School
Who goes there
40.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 8 pupils (5.1%) received SEN support and 5 (3.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ambergate Rail Station, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.
25 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Maple Avenue (w-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ripley Infant School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 135 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. 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, Ripley Infant School issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
40.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.2
Avg class size
26.2
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Ripley Infant School
Change of menu - Lights, Camera, Lunch - Thursday 1st October 2026
30 Sep 2026
The Big Future Survey
22 Sep 2026
Harvest Festival Letter 2026
21 Sep 2026
Superbook Event at Ripley Methodist Church - Saturday 26th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Schools Out Club - October Holidays Newsletter 2026
18 Sep 2026
School open tomorrow (16th September)
15 Sep 2026
From Ripley Infant School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Ripley Infant School
Term dates
Ripley 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 Ripley Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ripley 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
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
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, 1 serious and 6 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Ripley Infant School
Will you get a place at Ripley Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ripley Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ripley Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ripley 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 Ripley 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
95%
Near capacity
161 pupils
170 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ripley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ripley
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)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
157
Total Pupils
78
Boys
79
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,523
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,185
Per pupil
£1204k
Total funding
£105k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
16.5%
Persistent absence
115
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
Ripley Infant School
Questions parents ask about Ripley Infant School
What is Ripley Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Ripley Infant School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for Ripley Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Ripley 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 Ripley Infant School?
Ripley Infant School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Ripley Infant School?
Classes at Ripley Infant School average 26.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ripley Infant School?
Ripley Infant School has around 157 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ripley Infant School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Ripley Infant School in 2024/25. 16.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ripley Infant School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ripley 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.
What are Ripley Infant School's term dates?
Ripley 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 Ripley 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, 1 serious and 6 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Ripley Infant School?
Ripley Infant School is at Kirk Close, Off Highfield Way, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3RY.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)