St Andrew's Academy, Derby
St Andrew's Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Derby, part of The Shaw Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Andrew's Academy in detail
St Andrew's Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "St Andrew's is a very special place, and it is a privilege to be part of a community that is dedicated to helping every young person thrive. At the heart of everything we do is a shared belief that every child deserves to feel known, understood and valued."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include orchestra and Duke of Edinburgh.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Andrew's Academy are St Giles' Spencer Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Include - St Matthews (1.2 miles, selective); Aurora Ryefields School (1.7 miles); and Jasmine Hall School (2.1 miles, Good).
St Giles' Spencer AcademyInclude - St MatthewsAurora Ryefields SchoolJasmine Hall School
The trust
St Andrew's Academy is one of 31 schools run by The Shaw Education Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
55.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 33.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (49%), Asian (27%) and Mixed (9%).
Almost every pupil at St Andrew's Academy has an education, health and care plan (169 of 169 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Andrew's Academy has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 175 places, 179 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Derby Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Rocket (adjacent), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Andrew's Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 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 are warmly welcomed and well cared for at St Andrew's Academy. They enjoy attending this very supportive school. Pupils say that they are safe and happy. Parents and carers are very positive about the school. One parent reflected the views of others when they said, 'the staff go above and beyond in this transformative school. I could not have asked for a better place for my child.'
Staff know the pupils well. Relationships are very positive. Pupils know staff will support them to learn and keep them safe. All the staff at the school are highly trained. They are very skilled in meeting the pupils' complex needs.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious. It is designed to meet pupils' individual needs and provides a broad and enriching experience for them. Each pupil's education, health and care (EHC) plan is carefully considered and pupils' needs are fully assessed. This allows staff to place pupils in groups that best support their learning. Most pupils are able to access subjects from the national curriculum in a way that is appropriate for them. There is a real sense of the school motto of 'learning together, achieving together'. The clear intent for the curriculum sets out what pupils should learn and when in all subjects. However, this has only recently happened in mathematics. This has led to teachers being uncertain about exactly what knowledge and skills should be taught and when in this subject. As a result, pupils have encountered topics before they have secured the number skills they need to be successful.
From Ofsted's July 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 2014 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
55.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: SpLD, Vision, Other +9
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from St Andrew's Academy
Macmillan Coffee Day
25 Sep 2026
ITV news visits St Andrew's
2 Feb 2024
St Andrew's launches online parent app!
27 Sep 2023
From St Andrew's Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Andrew's Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Andrew's Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Andrew's Academy is in Derby; for families living there:
Apply to Derby for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- 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: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
5 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 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
97%
Near capacity
169 pupils
175 places
6 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Derby council
Places available
3,747
Applications
3,099
Got 1st preference
81.7%
Got preferred school
95.7%
All secondary applications across Derby council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
169
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Andrew's Academy has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 175 places, 179 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
169
Total Pupils
110
Boys
59
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,164
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.1%
Overall absence
28.8%
Persistent absence
104
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Andrew's Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Andrew's Academy
What is St Andrew's Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Andrew's Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Andrew's Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Andrew's Academy is oversubscribed, Derby allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Andrew's Academy?
St Andrew's Academy has around 169 pupils on roll. 56% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Andrew's Academy have specialist SEN provision?
St Andrew's Academy has a SEN unit for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 175 places, 179 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at St Andrew's Academy?
9.1% of sessions were missed at St Andrew's Academy in 2024/25. 28.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Andrew's Academy?
Apply through Derby's coordinated admissions process, naming St Andrew's 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Andrew's Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 5 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 Derby is 24 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Andrew's Academy?
St Andrew's Academy is at St Andrew's View, Breadsall Hilltop, Derby, Derbyshire, DE21 4EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)