Mapperley CofE Controlled Primary School

About Mapperley CofE Controlled Primary School

Mapperley CofE Controlled Primary School sits in a curious position against the Derbyshire local authority average for Key Stage 2. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 59 per cent, and Mapperley comes in just below that at 57 per cent. That puts it 25th out of 43 primary schools in Amber Valley, placing it in the bottom half of the local rankings. But the picture is more nuanced than a single headline figure. In writing, 86 per cent of pupils met the expected standard, which is notably strong, and in reading the figure was 71 per cent. Maths was the weaker subject, with 57 per cent reaching the expected level, though the average maths score of 106 is still above the national benchmark of 100. The school also saw 43 per cent of pupils achieve the higher standard in maths, which suggests that while some children struggle, others are stretching well beyond expectations.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, saw it upgraded from Requires Improvement to Good across all key areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a significant turnaround from its previous graded inspection in February 2023, where overall effectiveness was judged as Requires Improvement. The inspection report noted that early years provision was not separately graded this time, but the school now holds a Good rating across the board. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 92 per cent of respondents would recommend the school, and 79 per cent strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. In terms of academic progress, the school does not publish Progress 8 scores for primary, but the KS2 results show a mixed profile — strong in writing and reading, with maths as the area to watch.

Mapperley is a small Church of England primary school with exactly 56 pupils, matching its full capacity. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 28 applications for just 7 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4 to 1. All 7 first-preference applicants were offered a place. The school offers a Forest School, sensory room, sports hall, and chapel among its facilities, and runs clubs including drama, film club, choir and book club. Sports on offer include dance, cricket, football and swimming. The school’s SEND provision specifically supports pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, though the Parent View data on SEND support was not completed by any respondents, so it is hard to gauge parent satisfaction in that area. This is a school that suits families who value a tight-knit, faith-based community with strong pastoral care and a recent track record of improvement, but who are also prepared for the reality of a competitive admissions process.

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