Pottery Primary School

Amber Valley · DE56 1HA

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 285 pupils, 24.9% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted: Requires improvement

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 21.8% on SEN support Behaviour 4.6% absence rate Staff 14% turnover Financials £6,908 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

We haven't asked this school for its behaviour and staffing figures yet. Sign up to tell us you'd like them, and we'll email you when they arrive.

Notify me

Your email address

Leave this empty

We'll email you a link to confirm first. Your address is only used for news about this school, and every email has a link to stop them. Privacy

Pottery Primary School

General Information

Address: Kilbourne Road, Belper, DE56 1HA – View on map
Phone: 01773823383
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Darren Hooley
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 20 families put it first for 20 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

285 pupils out of 318 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 71
% eligible for free school meals: 24.9%
Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (less mixed than the Amber Valley average)
English as an additional language: 1% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 14% a year (Amber Valley 12.1%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 22% moved to another school, 78% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Derbyshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 17 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 2
Suspensions for bullying: 23 (0.4 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 7 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Derbyshire (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 4.6%
Persistently absent pupils: 8.8%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 21.8%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 5.3%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 20 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 19 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 11 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 6 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils
Severe learning difficulty: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

Be the first to review — win £100 of books for your school Every honest review enters you into our prize draw

Behaviour

–

Openness

–

Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

–

SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

–

Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

–

Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Requires improvement 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 23% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 3% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 36 percentage points below the Amber Valley average (59%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 34% against an expected 59%)
3-year average (expected standard): 34%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 68% · Writing 38% · Maths 53% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 65%
Average test scores: reading 102, maths 100
Based on: 40 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolAmber Valley averageEngland↘ Falling Down 29 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 36 percentage points below the Amber Valley average (59%).

Year 6 SATs: 40th of 41 junior and primary schools in the area

=38Ambergate Primary School36%
=38The Curzon CofE Primary School36%
#40Pottery Primary School23%
#41Marlpool Junior School21%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Holbrook Church of England Primary School90%
=2Kirk Langley CofE Primary School89%
=2William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School89%
=4Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy80%
=4Denby Free CofE VA Primary School80%
#6Coppice Primary School79%
=7Mugginton CofE Primary School78%
=7Turnditch Church of England Primary School78%
=9Milford Primary School77%
=9Street Lane Primary School77%
=11Duffield the Meadows Primary School74%
=11Lea Primary School74%
#13Herbert Strutt Primary School71%
#14Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled70%
#15St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy67%
#16Crich Junior School65%
#17Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery64%
#18Kilburn Junior School62%
#19Waingroves Primary School61%
#20Fritchley CofE (Aided) Primary & Nursery School60%
=21Langley Mill Academy58%
=21Leys Junior School58%
=23South Wingfield Primary School57%
=23Swanwick Primary School57%
=25Mapperley CofE Controlled Primary School56%
=25Riddings Junior School56%
=27Howitt Primary Community School55%
=27Long Row Primary School55%
=27St John's CofE Primary School and Nursery55%
#30Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School54%
#31Loscoe CofE Primary School and Nursery52%
#32Somerlea Park Junior School51%
=33Horsley CofE (Controlled) Primary School50%
=33Horsley Woodhouse Primary School50%
=33Richardson Endowed Primary School50%
#36Mundy CofE Junior School47%
#37Woodbridge Junior School43%
=38Ambergate Primary School36%
=38The Curzon CofE Primary School36%
#40Pottery Primary School23%
#41Marlpool Junior School21%

View full Ofsted inspection report

24th of 24 primary schools in Amber Valley for Ofsted rating

#22Turnditch Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#23Waingroves Primary SchoolGood
#24Pottery Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Lea Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Christ the King Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#4Coppice Primary SchoolGood
#5Crich Carr CofE Primary SchoolGood
#6Fritchley CofE (Aided) Primary & Nursery SchoolGood
#7Heage Primary SchoolGood
#8Herbert Strutt Primary SchoolGood
#9Horsley CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolGood
#10Horsley Woodhouse Primary SchoolGood
#11Howitt Primary Community SchoolGood
#12Ironville and Codnor Park Primary SchoolGood
#13Kirk Langley CofE Primary SchoolGood
#14Long Row Primary SchoolGood
#15Loscoe CofE Primary School and NurseryGood
#16Milford Primary SchoolGood
#17Mugginton CofE Primary SchoolGood
#18Richardson Endowed Primary SchoolGood
#19Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and NurseryGood
#20St John's CofE Primary School and NurseryGood
#21Street Lane Primary SchoolGood
#22Turnditch Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#23Waingroves Primary SchoolGood
#24Pottery Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,908 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

17th of 33 primary schools in Amber Valley for spending per pupil

#15Lea Primary School£7,375
#16Fritchley CofE (Aided) Primary & Nursery School£7,357
#17Pottery Primary School£6,908
#18St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,907
#19Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled£6,888

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Crich Carr CofE Primary School£12,008
#2Milford Primary School£10,095
#3Turnditch Church of England Primary School£9,354
#4The Curzon CofE Primary School£9,188
#5Horsley Woodhouse Primary School£8,587
#6Ambergate Primary School£8,424
#7Horsley CofE (Controlled) Primary School£8,210
#8Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School£8,037
#9Herbert Strutt Primary School£7,981
#10Street Lane Primary School£7,739
#11Mapperley CofE Controlled Primary School£7,611
#12Denby Free CofE VA Primary School£7,517
#13Kirk Langley CofE Primary School£7,515
#14Coppice Primary School£7,405
#15Lea Primary School£7,375
#16Fritchley CofE (Aided) Primary & Nursery School£7,357
#17Pottery Primary School£6,908
#18St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,907
#19Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled£6,888
#20Mugginton CofE Primary School£6,831
#21South Wingfield Primary School£6,760
#22Ripley St John's Church of England Primary School and Nursery£6,675
#23Holbrook Church of England Primary School£6,559
#24Swanwick Primary School£6,538
#25Richardson Endowed Primary School£6,537
#26St John's CofE Primary School and Nursery£6,487
#27Loscoe CofE Primary School and Nursery£6,452
#28Howitt Primary Community School£6,389
#29Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,382
#30William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School£6,365
#31Duffield the Meadows Primary School£6,248
#32Long Row Primary School£6,210
#33Waingroves Primary School£5,726

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

Have you rated Pottery Primary School yet? Your experience helps other parents.

Rate this school