Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Ripley
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ripley. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Ripley with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 82% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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 Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 77 named it as one of their preferences, for 50 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 Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery are Lons Infant School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement); Ripley Junior School (0.8 miles); Waingroves Primary School (0.8 miles, 84% reading, 71% maths); and Ripley Infant School (0.8 miles, Good).
Lons Infant SchoolRipley Junior SchoolWaingroves Primary SchoolRipley Infant School
Who goes there
37.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Langley Mill Rail Station, about 3.5 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Greenwich Recreation Ground (opposite), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 155 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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery issued 4 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery are The Ripley Academy (0.4 miles) and Swanwick Hall School (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2015, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils know they are well cared for in this happy, inclusive and welcoming school. The large majority of parents and carers are highly supportive of the school. One captured the sentiments of many when they said: 'This is not just a school but more importantly a community, which works together to help children to feel safe, be happy and secure success for their futures.' Pupils feel happy and safe. They enjoy coming to school. Relationships are warm and supportive. Pupils get on well together. They are polite and courteous.
The school promotes pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development exceptionally well. The school organises many trips and visits including undertaking geography fieldwork in Dovedale, listening to and playing with the Halle Orchestra in Derby and seeing Parliament. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. Pupils are well supported in exploring their own identity and place in modern Britain. They are highly respectful of people from backgrounds different to their own.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Strong and reflective leadership, including subject leadership, lies at the heart of the school's ambitious and inclusive curriculum for all pupils. Leaders, including governors, have a precise understanding of the school's strengths and improvement priorities.
Governors are effective in holding school leaders to account. Staff morale is positive and united. Teachers and other supporting adults feel empowered to contribute to the life of the school, for example by developing artistry, nurture in nature and librarianship. Everyone is committed to pupils' successful achievement.
From Ofsted's June 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 November 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
37.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 66% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.2
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
24.3
KS2
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
August 2026
17 Aug 2026
April Newsletter 2026
5 Apr 2026
February 2026 Newsletters
5 Apr 2026
March newsletters
5 Apr 2026
January Newsletter
5 Apr 2026
Autumn 2025 Newsletter
18 Nov 2025
From Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Term dates
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a voluntary controlled 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
You apply to the council where you live. Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
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 Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Derbyshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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
82%
Available places
336 pupils
412 places
76 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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
73
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
25.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
359
Total Pupils
177
Boys
182
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,522
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,425
Per pupil
£2076k
Total funding
£185k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
12.6%
Persistent absence
301
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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 412 places.
How big are the classes at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery average 25.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery has around 359 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 12.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery's term dates?
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a voluntary controlled 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 St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 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 Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery is at Dannah Street, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3BD.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)