This is a small, faith-shaped independent primary with nursery provision, built around close family partnership and a strong emphasis on character. The school was established in 1988 by East Midlands Christian Fellowships, and it frames learning through a Christian worldview while teaching in line with the national curriculum.
Leadership is stable. The head teacher is Mr Ben Snowdon, who became headteacher in September 2018, and also serves as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Parents are choosing it for small-scale schooling, strong routines, and a deliberate focus on values. It is also a fee-paying school by necessity, and tries to keep access open by inviting families facing difficulty to discuss affordability directly.
The school’s identity is explicit: a Christian ethos that sits alongside everyday academic life, rather than being bolted on as an add-on. It describes its purpose as educating children in godliness and integrity, as well as equipping them with skills for living, within a loving and disciplined environment.
Family partnership is not a slogan here, it is operational. The school sets an expectation that parents actively support school life, including helping with reading and clubs, and it positions admission as a values-aligned partnership rather than a transactional purchase.
Daily structures reinforce community across ages. From Reception upwards, pupils are placed into mixed-age “family groups” that meet weekly and compete across sport and activities; the named groups are Abraham’s Allies, Caleb’s Crew, and Gideon’s Group.
The school council is another practical mechanism for pupil voice. It is structured with representatives from each year group (except Nursery) and is described as contributing to decisions about day-to-day life, including planning events.
This is not a school where you will be comparing headline performance tables in the same way you might for a large maintained primary. The school points to SATs as a useful marker but emphasises that it does not “coach” for them, and it focuses heavily on children making progress and developing strong learning habits.
More revealing, in practice, is the way learning is organised. Teaching spans mixed-age classes in Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2 together) and two mixed-age classes in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4; Years 5 and 6). That model tends to suit pupils who respond well to flexible grouping and to revisiting concepts at different depths, because the same topic can be approached in more than one way within the same classroom.
The most recent regulatory compliance inspection provides reassurance on the fundamentals of educational delivery, as well as safeguarding and leadership standards, which matters for parents prioritising stability and oversight in a small setting.
If you are benchmarking options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can still be useful for looking at nearby state primaries side-by-side, even if this school does not sit neatly in the same performance-table format.
The curriculum is planned through long, medium, and short-term planning, with an explicit aim to build continuity and progression. The school also frames its teaching around connecting skills across subjects and encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving, which fits a small-school model where staff can respond quickly to individual needs.
A distinctive feature is the way faith is described as integrated into lessons, including practical “heart concepts” linked to each subject, from mathematics to French to physical education. For families who want a Christian lens across the whole timetable, this is part of the core offer. For families who prefer faith to be separate from academic teaching, it may feel more immersive than expected.
Support for additional needs is referenced both in staffing structure and in the inspection material. The school lists a SENDCo role within Early Years leadership, and the inspection describes targeted support and effective monitoring for pupils with SEND, including the use of external professional input where appropriate.
On leaving at the end of Year 6, pupils move on to a range of secondary schools across Derby, rather than a single linked destination. The school’s own description is that children settle well and flourish in their new environment, but it does not publish a named list of destination secondaries on the pages reviewed.
For parents, that usually means the decision-making work shifts to fit and logistics. You would want to clarify which secondaries current families tend to choose, how early conversations begin, and what support is offered around transition, especially if you are considering either a faith-based secondary route or a particular catchment-linked state option.
Admissions are direct to the school (not local authority coordinated). The school states that applications for September entry should be submitted by the end of February of the year of entry, with later applications placed on a waiting list and offers made if vacancies arise.
Open days are clearly signposted and, as of early February 2026, the next date in the published cycle is Monday 9 February 2026, followed by Monday 18 May 2026.
Because the intake is small (capacity 75), availability can be sensitive to year-group movement. Families considering a September start should treat the end-of-February guidance as a practical planning deadline and speak to the school early about likely spaces in the relevant year group.
If you are moving house and trying to keep options open, FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature is a simple way to keep this and nearby alternatives in one shortlist while you confirm availability and timelines.
Pastoral care here is closely tied to the school’s faith and character focus. Assemblies are a daily anchor and are described as varied, instructive, and fun. Lunch is a shared, whole-school moment, with pupils eating packed lunches together in the hall, followed by outdoor time when weather allows.
The ethos content is not abstract. The school explicitly teaches mutual respect, care, tolerance, and kindness through assemblies and structured discussion, and the inspection notes that pupils feel safe and happy, with confidence approaching adults when they have concerns.
Safeguarding leadership is clearly identified in staffing and policy documentation, which is especially important for smaller schools where roles can be multi-hatted.
Enrichment is built around performance opportunities, sport, and a small but specific club offering.
The school describes children being encouraged into instruments and choir, with regular opportunities to perform in ensembles and as soloists. Regular school plays and talent shows are explicitly referenced in inspection material and school event listings, giving pupils stage experience that can build confidence and presentation skills early.
The named after-school clubs include Art Club and Drama Club. In a small school, the value is often less about quantity and more about consistency and access, with pupils able to participate without intense competition for places.
The school uses external provision for swimming and physical education breadth. The clubs and activities page describes swimming lessons for Years 1 to 6, and use of Derby City Gym for trampoline lessons and gymnastics for older pupils. The inspection also references access to off-site facilities for swimming, trampolining, gymnastics, tennis, and more broadly a physical education curriculum planned carefully to build a range of skills.
This is an independent school, so families should plan for tuition fees from Reception through Year 6.
For 2025 to 2026, the published fees (including VAT) are £5,520 per year for a first child, with sibling rates of £5,220 for a second child and £4,320 for a third child. The school also lists monthly equivalents.
What you get for that cost matters. The fee page states that fees include swimming lessons and gymnastics at Derby City Gym for Key Stage 2. That reduces the number of “extras” families sometimes find creeping into small-school budgets.
On affordability, the school explicitly invites parents facing difficulty to discuss fees, and it states that it tries not to exclude children on financial grounds. There is no published percentage for bursary support on the pages reviewed, so parents should ask what support is available and how it is assessed.
Nursery funding is handled differently. The school states that nursery fees are covered by a government grant for eligible provision; for current nursery session details and any paid add-ons, use the nursery pages directly.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per year
The published school day runs from 08:45 to 15:15, Monday to Friday.
Lunch is packed lunch for all pupils, and the school operates a nut-free policy.
Wraparound care is not described on the pages reviewed, so families needing early drop-off or later collection should confirm current arrangements directly before relying on it as part of the working-week plan.
Faith integration is central. The Christian worldview is described as embedded across subjects and daily life, not confined to assemblies. Families looking for a lighter-touch approach to faith education should probe what this means in practice for curriculum and routines.
Small intake, limited slack. With a published capacity of 75, year-group availability can change quickly, and joining later in the school may depend on vacancies rather than a guaranteed place.
Wraparound care needs checking. The standard day is clearly stated, but breakfast and after-school provision is not set out on the pages reviewed, which matters for working families.
Packed lunch model. All pupils bring lunch, with a nut-free policy, which is simple and clear but may be a practical consideration for families used to school catering.
Emmanuel School (Derby) Limited is a very deliberate choice: small, values-led, and structured around close parent partnership. It suits families who want a clearly Christian approach to education, who value mixed-age community structures, and who prefer a setting where leadership and safeguarding roles are visibly defined. The main trade-off is that small schools can have less flexibility on spaces and logistics, so admissions timing and day-to-day practicalities like wraparound care should be confirmed early.
For parents prioritising ethos, safeguarding, and a small setting, the fundamentals look secure. The February 2024 ISI regulatory compliance inspection reported that the school met all relevant standards, and the school describes a curriculum aligned to the national curriculum taught from a Christian perspective.
For 2025 to 2026, the published fees for Reception to Year 6 are £5,520 per year for a first child, with lower sibling rates for second and third children. Fees are stated as including VAT, and the school also publishes per-term and per-month equivalents.
Applications are made directly to the school. The school advises submitting applications for September entry by the end of February in the year of entry, with later applications placed on a waiting list if spaces are not available.
Yes. The school has nursery provision and describes it as operating within Early Years Foundation Stage guidelines and supported by funded early years entitlement for eligible children. For nursery session structures and any additional paid elements, families should check the nursery pages directly.
The school lists Art Club and Drama Club, plus opportunities for choir, instrumental learning, and performance events such as plays and talent shows. Sport includes swimming for Years 1 to 6 and use of external facilities for activities such as trampolining and gymnastics.
Get in touch with the school directly
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