Somerlea Park Junior School, Alfreton

Ofsted's report card from its 25 February 2026 inspection grades Somerlea Park Junior School on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that staff have suitable expertise to meet pupils' diverse needs."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders reviewed and redesigned the curriculum to accommodate moving from mixed-age classes to single-age classes."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff at all levels share a commitment to inclusion at Somerlea Park Juniors."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have detailed knowledge of the school's context and the community it serves."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance remains below the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that all pupils attend school regularly, so that they benefit from all that the school has to offer"; "Leaders should continue their work to secure consistently effective teaching of writing, so that pupils secure key foundational knowledge and the quality of their writing further improves across the curriculum"; "Leaders should continue their work to ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded, so that pupils develop knowledge securely across the curriculum".

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at Somerlea Park Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Derbyshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 87% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.

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

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).

The nearest other state primary schools to Somerlea Park Junior School are Somercotes Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good); Riddings Infant and Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good); Riddings Junior School (0.6 miles, 68% reading, 72% maths); and Leys Junior School (1.2 miles, Good, 69% reading, 73% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Somerlea Park Junior School.

Somerlea Park Junior School is one of 21 schools run by Learners' Trust, an academy trust.

68.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.9% 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 (8%).

In 2026, 18 pupils (13.2%) received SEN support and 13 (9.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

Somerlea Park Junior School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Alfreton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Market Place (adjacent), 150 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 125 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Somerlea Park Junior School issued 8 suspensions, 6.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Somerlea Park Junior School are Swanwick Hall School (1.2 miles) and David Nieper Academy (1.3 miles).