Speedwell Infant School, Chesterfield
Speedwell Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Chesterfield. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. It was 72% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Derbyshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Speedwell Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Speedwell Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Speedwell Infant School as their first choice and 29 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Speedwell Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Speedwell Infant School are Staveley Junior School (0.1 miles, Good, 70% reading, 77% maths); St Joseph's Catholic and CofE (VA) Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 80% maths); Inkersall Spencer Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); and Poolsbrook Primary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 47% reading, 60% maths).
Staveley Junior SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic and CofE (VA) Primary SchoolInkersall Spencer AcademyPoolsbrook Primary Academy
Who goes there
60.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 19 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 3 (2.9%) 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.
Staffing
Speedwell Infant School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chesterfield Rail Station, about 3.2 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lime Avenue (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Speedwell 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 89 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Derbyshire (50), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Speedwell Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Speedwell Infant School are Springwell Community College (0.6 miles) and Netherthorpe School (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2018, 7 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
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils love attending their school. From the moment they start, they get the help and support that they need to live up to the school's high expectations. From their starting points, pupils achieve well.
Relationships are consistently positive. Staff know pupils well. They take good care of them. They help pupils to be independent and curious. In return, pupils appreciate the adults they work with. As one pupil said, 'They are really nice. They help us to learn and to be clever'.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is well-organised. It has been designed specifically for the pupils of the school. It takes good account of pupils' starting points and experiences. It helps pupils to learn about themselves and the world around them. The 'hands on' approach to learning helps pupils to remember what they have learned. In the majority of cases, the school's curriculum is organised in a logical manner. It builds cumulatively on what pupils know and can do. In most cases, pupils remember what they have learned. For example, a group of Year 2 pupils were able to recall what they had learned several terms previously about the different ways in which solid shapes can be changed. However, in some cases, the curriculum does not make clear the precise things that pupils are expected to know and remember. This means that the school cannot be sure that pupils' knowledge builds securely over time.
From Ofsted's October 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 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
60.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Speedwell Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Speedwell Infant School.
- The Arc Childcare780m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Speedwell 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 Speedwell Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Speedwell 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Speedwell Infant School
Will you get a place at Speedwell Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Speedwell Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Speedwell Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Speedwell 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 Speedwell 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
72%
Available places
85 pupils
118 places
33 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chesterfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chesterfield
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
21.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
103
Total Pupils
46
Boys
57
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
14.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,092
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,621
Per pupil
£770k
Total funding
£77k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
23.2%
Persistent absence
69
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
Speedwell Infant School
Questions parents ask about Speedwell Infant School
What is Speedwell Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Speedwell Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Speedwell Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Speedwell 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 Speedwell Infant School?
Speedwell Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 118 places.
How big are the classes at Speedwell Infant School?
Classes at Speedwell Infant School average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Speedwell Infant School?
Speedwell Infant School has around 103 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Speedwell Infant School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Speedwell Infant School in 2024/25. 23.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Speedwell Infant School?
Apply through Derbyshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Speedwell 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.
Does Speedwell Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Speedwell Infant School: The Arc Childcare (780m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Speedwell Infant School's term dates?
Speedwell 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 Speedwell Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Speedwell Infant School?
Speedwell Infant School is at College Avenue, Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3JJ.
Sources: Derbyshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)