Carlyle Infant and Nursery Academy

About Carlyle Infant and Nursery Academy

Carlyle Infant and Nursery Academy is a state primary school in Derby, catering for children aged 3 to 7. It sits within a local authority that contains 74 primary schools, only five of which hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The nearest Outstanding school is Griffe Field Primary School, just 0.8 kilometres away, which also ranks as the top-performing peer in the area with a ranking score of 84. Other high-ranking local schools include Gayton Junior School (score 81) and St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy (score 80). Carlyle itself was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection in 2011, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good. With a capacity of 206 and 183 pupils currently on roll, the school is slightly undersubscribed overall, but admissions data for the 2025/26 intake tells a different story: 101 applications were received for just 43 places, making it oversubscribed by a ratio of 2.35 to one. Only 33 first-preference applicants received offers.

Academically, Carlyle Infant and Nursery Academy serves the early years and Key Stage 1, so it does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results or a Progress 8 score. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment is 55, but this measure applies to older primary pupils and is not directly comparable to Carlyle's infant-phase outcomes. The most detailed academic picture comes from Ofsted's 2011 graded inspection, which rated the quality of education, early years provision, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness all as Good. The 2023 ungraded inspection found that the school continues to provide a Good standard of education, with no changes to any of the previous ratings. The school's early years provision was specifically noted as Good in both the 2011 and 2023 inspections. With 21.8 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage compared to the national average, yet has maintained its Good rating across two inspection cycles.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including an ICT suite, music rooms, a gymnasium, a sensory room, a sports hall, art studios, and a chapel. Sports provision covers cross country, athletics, football, netball, and cricket, while extracurricular clubs include Eco Club, Book Club, and Drama. For families with children who have additional needs, Carlyle provides support for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school also has a nursery provision, making it a natural choice for families seeking a single setting from age three through to Year 2. Given its oversubscription rate and strong local reputation, this school is best suited to families living within its catchment area who can apply early and list it as a first preference. The combination of a Good Ofsted rating, dedicated SEND support, and a wide array of facilities makes it a solid option for Derby parents looking for infant-phase education.

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