Gayton Junior School

About Gayton Junior School

Gayton Junior School’s Key Stage 2 results stand well above the Derby local authority average, placing it firmly among the highest-performing primary schools in the area. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 55%, Gayton achieves 81% — a gap of 26 percentage points. This strong showing earns the school a ranking of 2nd out of 58 primary schools in Derby, putting it in the top 4% locally and the top 10% nationally. It sits just behind Griffe Field Primary School (84) and ahead of St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy (80) in the LA’s top tier. For a junior school serving a community where a third of pupils (33.7%) are eligible for free school meals, these results are particularly notable and suggest effective teaching and support across the board.

Digging into the detail, Gayton’s pupils perform consistently well across all three core subjects. In reading, 87% reached the expected standard and 39% achieved a higher score, with an average scaled score of 108. Writing mirrors reading at 87% expected, though the higher-score rate drops to 16%. Maths is the strongest subject: 91% of pupils met the expected standard, 27% reached the higher threshold, and the average scaled score again sits at 108. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. This represents a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013, when the school was judged to Require Improvement. The ungraded inspection in 2023 found the school continues to maintain its Good rating, with no signs of decline.

Gayton Junior School is a state-funded, mixed junior school for pupils aged 7 to 11, with a capacity of 360 and currently 362 on roll — just slightly oversubscribed. Its facilities include a library, gymnasium, art studios, forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, tennis, cricket, netball, gymnastics, dance and cross country, while clubs extend to coding, eco club, science club, film club and drama. The school offers a broad range of SEND support, including provision for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. For families prioritising strong academic outcomes in a state setting, particularly those living near the city centre — the nearest Outstanding-rated school, St George’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, is just 0.2 km away — Gayton offers a compelling, high-performing option without a faith-based admissions criteria.

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