Hartshorne CofE Primary School

About Hartshorne CofE Primary School

Hartshorne CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in South Derbyshire that clearly commands strong local confidence. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 61 applications for just 16 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.81 — meaning nearly four families applied for every spot. Of those, 30 put Hartshorne as their first preference, and all 16 first-preference offers were taken up. That level of demand suggests a school that local parents trust and actively choose. The school currently has 109 pupils on roll, just under its capacity of 112, and 22.9 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools. Sarah Layhe-Humphreys is the headteacher, and the school has a nursery provision for children from age three, so families can start here early and stay through to Year 6.

Academically, Hartshorne performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Derbyshire local authority average of 59 per cent. That puts the school third out of 30 primary schools in South Derbyshire and in the top 10 per cent nationally. A strong 15 per cent of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. In reading, 92 per cent met the expected level and 46 per cent reached the higher standard; in maths, 92 per cent met the expected level and 23 per cent hit the higher mark. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, rated it Good across all five categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — maintaining the same Good rating it held in its previous inspection in 2018.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including an outdoor playground, ICT suite, forest school, art studios, dining hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, gymnastics, cross country, netball, tennis, athletics and dance, while clubs include art, film and gardening. For children with additional needs, the school lists SEND support for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic results, clear oversubscription and Good Ofsted rating, Hartshorne is a solid choice for families in the South Derbyshire area who want a village primary with a Church of England character and a proven track record. The nursery provision also makes it convenient for families looking for a single school from age three upwards.

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