Oak Grange is a new state primary in Alvaston, Derbyshire, opened to Nursery and Reception in September 2023 and expanding year by year as cohorts move through the school. This matters for families reading performance tables elsewhere, because there are not yet Key Stage 2 outcomes from pupils who have completed Year 6. The school is led by Mrs Sarah Coleman, described by the school as its first headteacher, with previous headship experience locally.
The early shape is clear. The school’s own language centres on growth, character, and “tiny seeds become mighty trees”, with a structured set of attitudes to learning (including being resilient and reflective) that is intended to show up in classroom habits rather than posters. For parents, the practical appeal is straightforward, Nursery on site, wraparound care (breakfast and after school), and admissions that follow Derby City’s co-ordinated process for Reception places.
Because Oak Grange is newly established, much of its identity is being built deliberately. The headteacher’s welcome places the school’s ethos in everyday routines and language, with seven named attitudes to learning that are meant to guide how pupils approach challenges and collaborate with others. That kind of shared vocabulary can be especially helpful for younger pupils, because it gives staff and families a consistent way to talk about effort, kindness, and independence without turning every moment into a reward chart.
The school’s values are presented in plain, child-friendly terms, be respectful, be kind, be curious. In practice, these values usually show up in two places in the first years of a new school: how adults correct behaviour, and how pupils are encouraged to speak to each other. When values are simple and repeated consistently, they tend to become part of classroom talk quickly, particularly in Reception and Key Stage 1.
Oak Grange is also part of East Midlands Education Trust (EMET), working in partnership with other local trust schools. For families, trust membership can influence the feel of a school in subtle ways, shared training, common approaches to curriculum planning, and access to expertise across schools. The important point here is that Oak Grange is not operating as a standalone project; it sits in a local cluster with established primaries.
For a primary school, the standard public benchmarks parents often look for are Key Stage 2 results at the end of Year 6. Oak Grange opened in September 2023 and is expanding year by year, so published end of primary outcomes are not yet available in the usual way.
That does not mean learning is unmeasured, it means the most meaningful indicators at this stage are internal: how securely pupils are learning early phonics, number, language, and routines for learning. For parents choosing a new school, the best evidence tends to come from:
clarity of the curriculum plan, including early reading and mathematics sequencing
staff stability and leadership capacity
the strength of routines and behaviour expectations in early years and Key Stage 1
how well the school supports children with additional needs as cohorts broaden
Oak Grange’s published curriculum intent emphasises a creative curriculum from Nursery through Year 6, outdoor learning, and music tuition on a tuned instrument for all children. Those are not results, but they are concrete choices that shape what pupils experience week to week, and they are the choices parents can interrogate during open events and early visits.
Oak Grange frames its approach around engagement and motivation, with enrichment built into the curriculum model rather than treated as an optional extra. Three strands stand out.
First, early years and the transition into formal schooling. The nursery is described as teacher-led, supported by teaching assistants, and working to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. For families, the key question is whether the move from Nursery into Reception feels seamless. A teacher-led model can help with continuity of expectations, particularly for language development, early number, and readiness to learn in groups.
Second, outdoor learning as a stated priority. The curriculum page explicitly references a bespoke outdoor learning curriculum and Forest School, alongside an Eco Council. If this is delivered consistently, it can benefit pupils who learn best through practical exploration, and it can support wellbeing by building regular movement and time outside into the week. The detail to probe as the school grows is staffing and timetabling: how often outdoor learning happens, which year groups have guaranteed time, and how it is linked back to literacy and numeracy rather than sitting apart from them.
Third, music for all. The school states that music tuition on a tuned instrument is provided for all children. That is unusually specific for a state primary and, if sustained, can be a strong equaliser because it does not rely on families arranging and paying for private lessons to access instrumental learning. Parents may want to ask what instruments are offered, how often tuition happens, and whether there are performance opportunities as the school develops.
Because Oak Grange’s oldest cohorts are still moving through the school, there is not yet an established pattern of Year 6 destinations that can be described with confidence. The practical way to think about transition here is geographical and local authority-led: secondary transfer routes will follow Derby City’s admissions arrangements at the time pupils approach Year 6, and choices will depend on catchment, siblings, and family preference.
For parents, the useful action is early familiarisation. If your child is in Nursery or Reception now, you can still map likely secondary options in Alvaston and nearby areas and watch how your preferred secondaries allocate places each year. FindMySchool’s map tools can help you sanity-check distance and travel time as your shortlist evolves.
Reception admissions are co-ordinated through Derby City. For September 2026 entry, the school states that the application window opens on 4 November 2025 and the submission deadline is 15 January 2026. Open events for families considering Nursery and Reception are published for October and November 2025, with specific sessions listed for those starting Reception in September 2026.
Demand is already strong. In Derby City Council’s Primary Admissions Handbook 2026 to 2027, Oak Grange is shown with Reception admissions growing on a phased basis, and a furthest distance offered figure of 4.641 miles for the 2025 intake. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place. That distance figure is best read as a snapshot during a growth phase, rather than a stable long-term guide. As the school fills year groups and admissions numbers change, the distance pattern can tighten significantly.
Nursery admissions operate separately from Reception admissions. The nursery page sets out application timing for January and September intakes, and notes that families can add a child to the waiting list after their second birthday, with priority rules tied to looked-after status, safeguarding-related criteria, SEND assessment status, siblings, and proximity. (For Nursery specifically, do not focus on price; focus on session structure, staffing, ratios, and whether the pattern works for your working week.)
100%
1st preference success rate
26 of 26 first-choice applicants received an offer
Places
27
Offers
27
Applications
63
In a new primary, wellbeing is largely a product of routines, adult consistency, and how quickly children settle into the expectations of school life. Oak Grange’s stated approach puts character formation at the centre, using shared “attitudes to learning” as the language for perseverance and collaboration. For younger pupils, that can be especially effective when staff use the language predictably, for example, praising effort and reflection rather than only correctness.
The school also sets out a SEND approach aligned to the SEN Code of Practice areas of need, with a graduated response through class staff and the SENCo where pupils require support beyond everyday differentiation. For parents of children with emerging needs, the best indicator is how quickly concerns are identified and acted upon, and whether support plans feel specific rather than generic.
Oak Grange is not relying on generic “lots of clubs” language. Instead, it highlights a small number of signature elements that can become defining as the school grows.
Forest School and Eco Council are explicitly named as part of the enrichment offer. If delivered well, these give pupils meaningful responsibility early, caring for spaces, learning about local environment, and developing practical skills. For some pupils, especially those who struggle to sit still for long periods, outdoor learning can be the setting where confidence and language flourish.
Music tuition for all children on a tuned instrument is another clear pillar. For families, the implication is a broader cultural experience at primary level without needing prior access to lessons. As cohorts expand, it is worth asking how the school plans to sustain this at scale: whether there is a long-term partnership with peripatetic teachers, and how instruments are sourced and maintained.
Wraparound care, while primarily practical, also contributes to the social life of the school. Oak Rangers Breakfast and After School Club is staffed by named school staff, with breakfast offered in the morning and snacks in the afternoon. For working families, this is not just childcare, it is also a stability feature, because children are supervised by familiar adults in a consistent environment.
Oak Grange runs a 9:00am to 3:30pm day for Reception and older pupils, with gates opening at 8:50am. Nursery afternoon sessions are listed separately (12:30pm to 3:30pm).
Breakfast club runs from 7:30am to 8:50am. After school provision runs from 3:20pm, with a later finish option up to 6:00pm. For families relying on wraparound, note the booking expectation, the school indicates sessions should be booked at least a week in advance to plan staffing ratios.
Transport planning is usually straightforward in Alvaston, but the exact experience depends on your street and the time of day. If you are weighing multiple schools, use distance and journey time tools rather than assuming two nearby options will feel the same at drop-off.
A new school means limited published outcomes. Families will be choosing based on leadership, curriculum clarity, routines, and early years practice rather than Key Stage 2 performance tables.
Catchment distance will change as the school fills up. In 2025, the furthest distance offered was 4.641 miles. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place. Treat this as a growth-phase snapshot, not a promise.
Nursery and Reception are different routes. Nursery admissions and timings are set out separately from Reception, and getting a Nursery place does not remove the need to apply for Reception through the local authority process.
Wraparound care relies on forward planning. The school indicates bookings should be made at least a week in advance, which can be a constraint for families with variable work patterns.
Oak Grange is an early-stage primary that looks purposeful in its design: clear values, defined learning habits, a strong early years offer, and curriculum pillars that are specific rather than vague, particularly outdoor learning and music for all. The key trade-off is the absence of long-run published outcomes, which is normal for a school opened in 2023.
Who it suits: families in and around Alvaston who want a growing school with Nursery on site, structured routines, and practical wraparound options, and who are comfortable judging quality through leadership, day-to-day culture, and curriculum substance while the school matures.
It is a new school that opened in September 2023, so it does not yet have the usual end of primary performance picture. The strongest indicators to weigh are leadership stability, the clarity of its curriculum priorities (including outdoor learning and music tuition for all), and how confidently children settle into routines as cohorts grow.
Reception places are applied for through Derby City’s co-ordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the school states that applications open on 4 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026.
Yes. Nursery admissions are managed separately from Reception admissions, with application timings published for January and September intakes. Families can usually add a child to the nursery waiting list after their second birthday, with places offered using stated priority criteria.
The school day is shown as 9:00am to 3:30pm for Reception and older pupils, with gates opening at 8:50am. Nursery afternoon sessions are listed as 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
Yes. Breakfast provision runs from 7:30am to 8:50am and after school provision runs from 3:20pm, with a later finish up to 6:00pm. The school indicates bookings should be made at least a week ahead to plan staffing.
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