Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School

About Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School

Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School is a small Church of England primary in the Derbyshire borough of Erewash, serving just 87 pupils aged 5 to 11. Among the 25 primary schools in the Erewash local authority area, it ranks 8th — comfortably inside the top third. The three highest-scoring peers in the same LA are Redhill Primary School, Wessington Primary School, and Longford CofE Primary School, all of which achieved perfect ranking scores. Redhill, the nearest outstanding-rated school, is 3.7 km away. Risley’s own most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, awarded it a Good rating across all categories — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2020. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 38 applications for 11 places, with all 11 first-preference families offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.45.

Academically, Risley’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show solid performance. 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined — well above the Derbyshire local authority average of 59%. In individual subjects, 80% reached the expected standard in maths, 75% in reading, and 75% in writing. At the higher standard, 35% achieved in reading, 25% in maths, 10% in writing, and 5% across all three. Average scaled scores were 105 in both reading and maths. The school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is not possible to compare value-added directly. Nationally, Risley ranks in the 31st percentile among all primary schools, and in the 28th percentile across the East Midlands region. Its ranking score of 70 places it in the top 50 tier of schools nationally by the KS2 expected standard metric.

The school offers a range of facilities including a music room, library, gymnasium, sensory room, and chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, swimming, football, cricket, athletics, tennis, and netball, while extracurricular clubs include coding, drama, choir, gardening, and film club. SEND support is available for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as speech, language and communication needs. With a capacity of 133 and only 87 pupils on roll, there is room for growth, though the oversubscription data suggests strong local demand. The 18.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals is slightly above the national average, reflecting a mixed catchment. This is a good-fit school for families in Erewash seeking a small, faith-based primary with improving Ofsted grades and above-average attainment, particularly those who value a strong sense of community and a broad range of clubs.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Risley Lower Grammar CE (VC) Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents