Croft Infant School

About Croft Infant School

Croft Infant School is a state primary in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, for children aged 5 to 7, and it is currently running very close to full capacity with 169 pupils against a school capacity of 180. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 38.3 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average for primary schools and signals a significant concentration of socio-economic need in its intake. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 86 applications for 51 places, making it oversubscribed with an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. Of those 86 applicants, 49 were first-preference choices, and all 49 were offered a place, meaning that while the school is popular, families who put it first have a very strong chance of getting in. The headteacher is Sally Swain, and the school has no religious character.

Academically, Croft Infant School was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in January 2020, and an ungraded inspection in October 2024 confirmed that standards are being maintained. Across all five key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — the school received a Good rating. This represents a change from its previous graded inspection in 2007, when it was rated Outstanding overall, though the 2024 ungraded visit suggests the school remains on a solid footing. Because Croft is an infant school, it does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results, so direct comparison with the Derbyshire local authority average of 59 per cent for KS2 attainment is not possible. However, the school’s consistent Good rating across both inspections and its maintained standards signal reliable provision for early years and Key Stage 1 pupils.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, music rooms, gymnasium, and a forest school, and runs clubs such as drama, eco club, choir, coding, gardening and chess. Sports on offer include netball, tennis, cricket, football, cross country, swimming and rounders. For children with additional needs, the school has SEND provisions covering moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is generally very positive: 84 per cent of respondents to the Ofsted Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 96 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. With its strong demand, high FSM intake and Good Ofsted rating, Croft Infant School is a solid local choice for families in Amber Valley seeking a well-regarded infant school with a clear focus on early years development.

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