Elkesley Primary and Nursery School

About Elkesley Primary and Nursery School

Elkesley Primary and Nursery School is a small state primary in the Nottinghamshire village of Elkesley, within the Bassetlaw borough. It sits among 286 primary schools in the local authority, where 14 currently hold an Outstanding rating. In the most recent Bassetlaw rankings, Elkesley placed 21st out of 44 primaries, putting it in the bottom half of its immediate area. The top-performing local peers include John Blow Primary School, Harworth CofE Academy and Bunny CofE Primary School, all of which scored higher on the same KS2 metric. The school is led by headteacher Chris Marsh and has a mixed-gender intake from age three to 11, with a nursery on site. It is not a boarding school and has no sixth form. With a capacity of 120 and just 88 pupils on roll, the school is significantly below capacity, though it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 12 applications for seven places and offering all seven to first-preference families.

Academically, Elkesley’s most recent Key Stage 2 results from 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 57%, slightly below the Nottinghamshire local authority average of 61%. Reading was a clear strength, with 93% of pupils reaching the expected standard and an average scaled score of 105. Maths and writing both saw 71% of pupils at the expected level, with a maths average score of 104. However, the proportion achieving the higher standard across all three subjects was just 7%, and only 14% reached that level in reading. The school’s Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged it Good across all areas, including behaviour, leadership and early years provision, though the overall effectiveness was not graded on that occasion. The previous inspection in 2019 also rated the school Good overall, so the school has held a consistent Good rating across both its recent inspections.

The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite, sensory room, music rooms and a chapel, with playing fields and an outdoor playground. Sports provision includes football, netball, cross country and dance, while clubs such as eco club, gardening, choir and art club are available. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 15 respondents between September 2024 and September 2025 were overwhelmingly positive: 100% would recommend the school, and 87% strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. The school suits families looking for a small, community-focused primary with strong reading outcomes, a Good Ofsted rating, and a nursery that allows children to start at age three. Its oversubscription suggests local demand is healthy, but the small cohort size means places are limited.

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