Whaley Thorns Primary School

About Whaley Thorns Primary School

Whaley Thorns Primary School sits in a tricky spot compared with the Derbyshire average for Key Stage 2 outcomes. The local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 59%, and Whaley Thorns achieves 65% — a noticeable six percentage points above that benchmark. That’s a solid result for a school of just 133 pupils, especially given that 62.8% of its children are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average. However, the picture is more mixed when you look at the highest achievers: only 4% of pupils hit the higher standard in all three subjects, and the school’s overall Ofsted rating is Requires Improvement, following an inspection in October 2024. So while the core academic outcomes are better than the LA average, the school is clearly still working through some wider challenges.

The 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results show real strengths in reading and writing. 85% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, and 81% did so in writing, with 23% hitting the higher standard in each. Maths is a bit weaker: 73% at expected and just 8% at the higher level, though the average maths score of 102 is still above the national benchmark of 100. The school’s ranking within Bolsover is 8th out of 22, placing it in the top 40% locally, and nationally it sits around the 44th percentile. The most recent Ofsted inspection didn’t give an overall effectiveness grade — it was a graded inspection that judged the school as Not Judged overall — but the breakdown is telling: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management were all rated Good, while quality of education remains Requires Improvement. That’s a clear improvement from the previous inspection in 2019, when behaviour and attitudes were also Requires Improvement.

Facilities include a dining hall, gymnasium, library, sensory room, playing fields and even a chapel, which is unusual for a state primary. The school offers a wide range of clubs — art, coding, chess, science, choir and book club — and sports include football, gymnastics, netball, cross country and cricket. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language needs, physical disabilities and other difficulties. Admissions for 2025/26 show the school is oversubscribed: 19 applications for 16 places, with all 16 first-preference applicants offered a spot. Parent View responses are mixed — only 23% would recommend the school, and while 69% of parents disagree that the school supports wider personal development, 54% agree they are made aware of what their child will learn. This is a school that suits families who value strong KS2 outcomes and a broad range of activities, but who are aware that the school is still on an improvement journey.

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