Sale and Davys Church of England Primary School Review 2026: High outcomes, small-school closeness, clear values

Small primary schools can be hit-and-miss. Here, the small scale looks like an advantage. With a capacity of 105 pupils, Sale and Davys keeps the feel of a village school where children are known well, routines are predictable, and family communication can be direct. The Christian ethos is not a label of convenience either. Daily collective worship is built into the timetable, and the school describes itself as inclusive of families of all faiths and none.

The strongest headline for most parents is outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2. In 2024, 92% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. Scaled scores are also strong, with reading at 110, mathematics at 106, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) at 111. FindMySchool’s ranking places the school 880th in England and 4th in Derby for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

A key contextual point is inspection. The latest Ofsted inspection (11 and 12 March 2025) graded personal development as Outstanding, and graded quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years provision as Good.

Values are treated as daily language rather than poster text. Children can earn merit points, house points, chance cards, and star badges from the headteacher, which creates a clear incentive structure and a simple way for younger pupils to understand what “good choices” look like. That matters in a small school, because behaviour patterns spread quickly, for better or worse.

The Church of England identity shows up most obviously in worship and in the school’s wider community links. Daily collective worship is described as central, typically taking place mid afternoon, with staff taking turns to lead. Parents are invited at points through the year, and the school also references festivals and celebrations from other faiths as part of broadening pupils’ understanding. For families who want faith to be present but not exclusive, this is a pragmatic model.

Leadership is also straightforward to pin down. The headteacher is Mrs Sarah Briggs, and the school sits within Derby Diocesan Academy Trust. A trust-backed governance structure can be helpful in a small setting, particularly around staff development and curriculum planning, because there is less “spare capacity” inside a one-form entry school.

Finally, heritage matters here. The school history sets the founding story in 1843, with the older school building no longer used and land donated by the Harpur Crewe estate. That long local continuity tends to show up in parent networks, alumni links, and a sense that the school is one of the village’s institutions rather than just a service.

The end of Key Stage 2 data for 2024 is unusually strong for a state primary.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined): 92%, compared with an England average of 62%.

• Higher standard (reading, writing and maths): 45%, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores: reading 110, mathematics 106, GPS 111.

• FindMySchool ranking: 880th in England and 4th in Derby for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The implication is not just “high scores”, it is cohort consistency. When nearly half the cohort hits the higher standard, it usually means the school has a secure approach to stretching high attainers without losing the middle. For parents, that often translates into mixed-ability classrooms that still feel academically purposeful, rather than relying on external tutoring to push the top end.

Reading is positioned as a priority, with a phonics programme that specifies the sounds pupils should know at each stage, and with quick identification of pupils who need extra help to catch up. That kind of clarity is especially useful in a small school, because it reduces the risk of pupils quietly “drifting” when staffing is tight.

Curriculum breadth is also signposted clearly on the website. A practical example is French: greetings are used regularly in Years 1 and 2, Reception introduces greetings later in the year, and Years 3 and 4 run a France topic designed to immerse pupils through creative work. The benefit for children is that languages feel normal and low-stakes early on, which can support confidence and oracy long before formal secondary language lessons begin.

Outdoor learning is another distinctive thread. Forest School is framed as a regular, resilience-building experience, with seasonal activities and managed risk. For pupils who learn best through movement and hands-on tasks, this kind of structured outdoor provision can support attention and self-regulation back in the classroom.

As a primary, the key transition is into Year 7. The most sensible expectation is that pupils move on to a mix of local secondaries across Derbyshire and Derby City, depending on family location, admissions criteria, and transport. This is a school where parents should plan that secondary stage early, because a village primary often serves families spread across a wider area than its immediate postcode suggests.

What the school does appear to do well is transition readiness in the broad sense. The latest inspection describes pupils as confident, well prepared for the next stage of education, and well supported in their wider personal development. In practical terms, that usually shows up as children who can manage independence, routines, and social expectations, which are often as important as test scores when moving into larger Year 7 settings.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Derbyshire, rather than applying directly to the school. The most relevant dates for September 2026 entry are:

• Applications open: 10 November 2025

• Closing date: 15 January 2026

• National offer day: 16 April 2026

• Appeals closing date (Derbyshire): 15 May 2026

These dates matter even for organised families because late applications can significantly reduce choice in an oversubscribed area.

Local demand looks real. For the most recent Reception entry route data available here, there were 30 applications for 14 offers, which equates to 2.14 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. In a small primary, that level of pressure can move around from year to year, but it is a useful signal that families should not assume an easy place.

A practical tip: if you are comparing several schools in the area, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sanity-check travel time and day-to-day logistics, then use the Comparison Tool on the local hub page to line up outcomes side-by-side before making final preferences.

Personal development is a headline strength. The school describes a deliberate set of experiences and roles that sit alongside academics, including buddy systems, pupil leadership roles, and whole-school themes such as anti-bullying work and mental health awareness. In a small school, these programmes tend to be highly visible, because every pupil sees older children modelling the expectations.

Safeguarding arrangements are described as effective in the latest inspection documentation. For parents, the sensible next step is to read the safeguarding information on the school site and ask how reporting works day-to-day, especially if your child has additional needs or finds transitions difficult.

The extracurricular offer is more specific than many small primaries manage, and it mixes sport, creativity, and enrichment.

A clear example is structured club participation: Autumn 2024 materials list lunchtime clubs including Chess Club, Choir, Art Club, and Soccerstars, alongside after-school activity such as gymnastics and trampolining. For children who do not immediately find “their thing” in the classroom, this matters. Clubs can be where friendships form across year groups, which is especially valuable in mixed-age classes.

On wraparound, the school’s January 2026 newsletter describes a free breakfast club with drop-off between 8:00 and 8:20, plus an after-school club provider offering two sessions, 3:30 to 4:30 and 3:30 to 5:30, Monday to Friday. That is the practical shape of support many working families need.

The school also references a varied programme of out-of-school clubs over time, including activities such as netball, rugby, gymnastics, art and crafts, singing, and British Sign Language, plus current after-school clubs listed as Multi Sports, Art Club, and Soccerstars. The implication is not that every club runs every term, but that the school is used to rotating provision and bringing in specialist providers.

The school day is clearly set out. Pupils may arrive from 8:40, the day begins at 8:50, and ends at 3:30, with a weekly total of 33 hours and 20 minutes.

Wraparound care exists through breakfast and after-school provision, with breakfast club described on site and further operational detail described in recent communications.

Term dates and INSET day information is published on the school website, which is helpful for parents planning childcare around training days.

• Inspection language has changed. The school is shown as Outstanding in older contexts, but the latest inspection uses the newer framework approach with graded judgements by category. Parents should anchor to March 2025 as the current benchmark.

• A small school can feel intense socially. With a capacity of 105, peer groups are compact. That suits some children brilliantly, but pupils who need a very wide friendship pool can find the social “visibility” tiring.

• Oversubscription is a real factor. Recent application pressure suggests families should treat admissions as competitive and have realistic second and third preferences.

• Faith presence is daily. Collective worship is part of the routine and the Church of England identity is active. Families comfortable with that will enjoy the coherence; others may prefer a more secular daily rhythm.

Sale and Davys Church of England Primary School combines the two things parents often struggle to find together: small-school closeness and high Key Stage 2 outcomes. Personal development is a clear strength, and the curriculum looks well organised with visible priorities such as reading, languages, and outdoor learning.

Best suited to families who want a village-scale primary with a clear Church of England identity, strong academic outcomes, and structured routines for behaviour and recognition. The main challenge is admissions competition rather than what happens once your child is on roll.