Cavendish Close Infant School
100%
Capacity
271
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About Cavendish Close Infant School
Cavendish Close Infant School is a popular choice among Derby families, with 70 first-preference applications for its 80 places in the 2025/26 admissions round. The school is oversubscribed, receiving 141 total applications for those places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.76. This level of demand suggests strong local confidence in the school, though no parent survey data is available to confirm the percentage who would recommend it. The school serves 271 pupils aged 3 to 7, operating slightly above its official capacity of 270. It offers nursery provision for younger children, which may appeal to families looking for a single-site early years and infant option. The headteacher is C Diffin, and the school has no religious character.
Academically, Cavendish Close Infant School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most recent graded inspection took place in November 2012, where it received a Good overall effectiveness score of 2, with leadership and management also rated Good. An ungraded inspection in May 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. This represents a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in February 2010, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with early years provision scoring 2 and leadership and management scoring 3. As an infant school, it does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results, so direct comparison with the Derby local authority average of 55% is not possible. The school has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 30%, which may reflect its inclusive intake.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, playing fields, and a forest school area. Sports provision includes tennis, cross country, athletics, swimming, and cricket, while extracurricular clubs cover science, choir, art, gardening, and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth of support, combined with the oversubscribed admissions, suggests the school is well-regarded for its inclusive approach. It is not a boarding school and has no sixth form. Families seeking an Outstanding-rated alternative could consider Castleward Spencer Academy, located 3 km away.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Wood Road, Derby, Derby, DE21 4LY |
| Headteacher | C Diffin |
| Local Authority | Derby |
| Number of Pupils | 271 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 30.0% |
| School Capacity | 271 / 270 (100% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (5 May 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 11 Dec 2012. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed80
141
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
70 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British82.3%
- Mixed5.5%
- White (other)5.2%
- Asian1.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
10
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
8
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cavendish Close Infant School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Wood Road, Derby
Derby, DE21 4LY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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