School Chooser

Marlpool Infant School

Primary · ages 4-7MixedCouncil28 pupilsHeanorDerbyshire
School Chooser Score
50
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 20 to 79, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, April 2025
Attendance96.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
Places32 spare28 pupils, 60 places
Pupils per teacher16.5School workforce census
Pupils on roll28Census January 2026

Marlpool Infant School is a council school in Heanor for boys and girls aged 4 to 7. It has 28 pupils and room for 60. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 50 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Prospect Road, Marlpool, Heanor, DE75 7NF01773 717647marlpoolinfants.co.ukMrs L Thorpe headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 23 April 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places34 pupils for 60 places, 2024/25
57% full

26 places were empty (43% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 36% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Derbyshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll28Census January 2026
Places6047% full
Pupils from low-income families21%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support32%9 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size28.01 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)24%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls16 / 12
White British pupils96%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (5), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll283441495452
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%29%22%29%26%29%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%12%14%13%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.8%7.0%6.7%7.5%2.0%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.2%5.5%5.5%5.7%1.4%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.5%1.3%1.8%0.5%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.4%16.7%22.0%21.6%2.5%8.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.04.10.07.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers1.7full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher16.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£64,623
Teachers who left in the year50%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£12,159England £7,738. Total £413k
Income per pupil£11,499England £7,697. Total £391k
Spent on teachers per pupil£6,501England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £10k, £301 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£22kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,159spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m21512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate91 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£235,000Amber Valley
Nearest bus stop210 mBreach Road, 16 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Marlpool Junior SchoolCouncil260 m90Good 20224Compare
Laceyfields AcademyAcademy510 m87Good 202323Compare
Mundy CofE Junior SchoolChurch of England680 m193Good 202326Compare
Coppice Primary SchoolCouncil800 m235Good 202369Compare
Langley Mill Church of England Infant School and NurseryChurch of England0.8 miles99Report card 20267Compare
Howitt Primary Community SchoolAcademy1.0 miles350Good 202346Compare
Langley Mill AcademyAcademy1.1 miles297No overall grade 202543Compare
Aldercar Infant SchoolAcademy1.2 miles179No overall grade 202439Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Marlpool Infant School with the 38 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 38 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats53%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 50 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 49 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 38 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Marlpool Infant School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Longwood Infant AcademyAcademy5.4 miles49Outstanding 202394Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 50 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 50% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 20 to 79. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.13
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 27 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Marlpool Infant School a good school?

It is about average. Marlpool Infant School scores 50 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 20 to 79, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Marlpool Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Marlpool Infant School not judged at its last full inspection on 23 April 2025.

How many pupils does Marlpool Infant School have?

28 pupils aged 4 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 60 places, so it is 47% full.

Is Marlpool Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 26 places were empty in 2024/25 (43% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Marlpool Infant School?

Pupils were in school 96.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Marlpool Infant School?

The average class had 28.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Prospect Road, Marlpool, Heanor, DE75 7NF
Telephone
01773 717647
Website
www.marlpoolinfants.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs L Thorpe
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-7
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Derbyshire
Ward
Heanor East
Constituency
Amber Valley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
112562 · LAESTAB 8302125 · UKPRN 10076513

Where these figures come from