Blackwell Community Primary and Nursery School

About Blackwell Community Primary and Nursery School

Blackwell Community Primary and Nursery School sits in the middle of the pack when you compare its headline Key Stage 2 results against the Derbyshire local authority average. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 56%, just three percentage points below the LA average of 59%. That’s a narrow gap, and it places Blackwell 135th out of 353 primary schools in the county — comfortably in the middle third. Within the Bolsover district specifically, it ranks 12th out of 22 schools, so it’s performing around the median for its immediate area. The school’s reading scores are a particular bright spot: 75% of pupils hit the expected standard, and 38% reached the higher standard. Maths is a little weaker, with 63% at expected and only 13% at the higher level. Overall, Blackwell is a solidly average performer for Derbyshire — not a standout, but not lagging either.

Academically, the school has improved since its previous Ofsted inspection. In 2014, it was rated Requires Improvement across the board, but by its most recent graded inspection in 2016 it had jumped to Good overall, with Good marks for leadership, management and early years provision. An ungraded inspection in 2021 confirmed the school remains Good. The Progress 8 data isn’t available here, so we can’t measure how much value the school adds year-on-year, but the KS2 scores give a clear snapshot: reading average score of 103, maths average of 100. That reading figure is above the national benchmark of 100, while maths is exactly on it. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading (38%) is notably stronger than in writing (19%) or maths (13%). With 47.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — the school is serving a relatively disadvantaged intake, which makes its in-line-with-LA results a respectable outcome.

Blackwell is a small school with 118 pupils against a capacity of 168, so there’s room to grow, yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry: 33 applications for 15 places, with 14 first-preference offers made. That 2.2 oversubscription ratio suggests strong local demand. Facilities include a sensory room, forest school, gymnasium and even a chapel — unusual for a community primary. The SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, social and emotional mental health, and physical disabilities. Sports run from cricket and football to swimming and dance, and clubs include coding, chess and book club. For families in Bolsover who want a Good-rated primary with a strong reading focus, a supportive SEND offer and a genuine community feel, Blackwell is a solid, well-regarded local option.

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