Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School
Church Road, Darley Dale, Matlock, DE4 2GL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DERBY DIOCESAN ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Ben O'Connell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Derby
- Sponsor
- Derby Diocesan Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Derbyshire Dales
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 106
- Pupils on roll
- 41
- URN
- 142839
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01629732236
About this school
Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Matlock. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 41 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
A short monitoring inspection followed on : inspectors found that standards have been maintained.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 12 | 7 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 71% | 70% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 17% | 14% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 83% | 100% | 80% |
| Expected standard in maths | 92% | 100% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 92% | 100% | 70% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 110.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 | 109.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.60 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Derbyshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67% | 58.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 71% | 56.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 70% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 8.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 61 |
| 2023/24 | 49 |
| 2024/25 | 50 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School compares
Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School ranked 79th of 246 primary schools in Derbyshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 70% | 7.2% | 58% | 41 | — |
| Darley Dale Primary School | 63% | 3.1% | 21.6% | 214 | 1.0 miles |
| South Darley CofE Primary School | 44% | 3% | 23.2% | 54 | 1.0 miles |
| Stanton-in-Peak CofE Primary School | 67% | 4.5% | 14.9% | 68 | 1.7 miles |
| Rowsley CofE (Controlled) Primary School | 80% | 4% | 46.8% | 60 | 1.8 miles |
| Winster CofE Primary School | — | 4.9% | 28.6% | 4 | 2.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
-
Ungraded inspection report17 December 2024
- 8 January 2020
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 58%
- English as an additional language
- 8%
- Overall absence
- 7.16%
- Persistent absence
- 21.28%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Darley Dale Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Matlock
-
South Darley CofE Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Matlock
-
Stanton-in-Peak CofE Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Matlock
-
Rowsley CofE (Controlled) Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Matlock
-
Winster CofE Primary School2.0 miles
Primary · Matlock
Other schools in Matlock
Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School ranks 6th of the 16 ranked primary schools in Matlock.
- All Saints CofE Infant School Primary
- All Saints CofE Junior School Primary
- Bonsall CofE (A) Primary School Primary
- Brassington Primary School Primary
- Carsington and Hopton Primary School Primary
- Castle View Primary School Primary
- Crich Carr CofE Primary School Primary
- Crich Church of England Infant School Primary
- Crich Junior School Primary
- Cromford Church of England Primary School Primary
- Darley Dale Primary School Primary
- Elton CofE Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School teach?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Matlock.
- Who is the headteacher of Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is Mr Ben O'Connell, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School has 41 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School full?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School has capacity for 106 pupils and 41 on roll (39%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Derby.
- Does Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School is part of DERBY DIOCESAN ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 70% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in Derbyshire?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School ranked 79th of 246 primary schools in Derbyshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 7.2% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Darley Churchtown Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.