Heath Fields Primary School

About Heath Fields Primary School

Heath Fields Primary School has a solid reputation among local families, with 22 of the 23 available places for the 2025/26 academic year going to first-preference applicants. The school was oversubscribed, receiving 30 applications for those places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.3. That level of demand suggests parents who apply here tend to be keen, though it is not among the most fiercely competitive schools in South Derbyshire. The school is a state-funded, mixed primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 204 pupils against a capacity of 280, so there is some room to grow. Headteacher Nicola Oliphant leads a school where 23.2 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that points to a genuinely mixed catchment. The most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2023, rated the school Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — and it has held that Good rating since at least its previous inspection in 2014.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. Just 34 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is well below the Derbyshire local authority average of 59 per cent. Only 13 per cent achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. In individual subjects, reading and writing both saw 59 per cent of pupils reach the expected level, while maths lagged at 53 per cent. Average scaled scores were 102 in reading and 100 in maths, both close to the national benchmark of 100. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 5 per cent for its combined expected standard score, and within South Derbyshire it sits 28th out of 30 primary schools. That said, the school’s Ofsted report notes Good behaviour and attitudes, and the progress measures — though not published in the data — may reflect the challenges of a cohort with above-average pupil premium eligibility.

The school offers a decent range of facilities, including an art studio, outdoor playground, dining hall, sensory room and chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, athletics, rounders, football and swimming, and there are clubs for art, coding, drama and science. SEND support is broad, with specialist provision for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. For families weighing up Heath Fields, the key consideration is whether the below-average academic outcomes are offset by the strong pastoral and behavioural environment noted by Ofsted. The school is not a selective or faith school, and its relatively modest oversubscription means a determined application is likely to succeed. It would suit parents who prioritise a calm, inclusive atmosphere and a wide range of enrichment activities over headline exam results.

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