Middleton Community Primary School, Matlock Review 2026: Small village primary with a strong Forest School strand

This is a small, village primary in Middleton-by-Wirksworth, with an intake that is naturally limited by size rather than a lack of demand. The published capacity is 92 pupils, and the school describes four classrooms serving just over 90 children.

The most recent Ofsted inspection, dated 02 February 2022, confirmed the school continues to be Good, and safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Academic outcomes look consistently strong for a primary of this size. In the latest published Key Stage 2 figures, 81% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, versus an England average of 62%, and 43% reached the higher standard, versus 8% nationally.

Day-to-day life is shaped by outdoors learning. The school highlights woodland, gardens, a field and an allotment, with a weekly Forest School programme where pupils build outdoor skills and teamwork through practical projects.

Small schools can feel either cosy or cramped. Here, the evidence points to a purposeful, busy tone with routines that give children confidence. Pupils are encouraged to aim high, and the school’s own language about “valuing, inspiring and creating opportunities” is treated as a practical curriculum aim rather than a slogan.

Recognition and responsibility are used deliberately to build habits. Rewards include the Middleton cup, and there are structured roles such as school ambassadors and Year 5 sports leaders, which link responsibility to real contribution at break and lunchtime.

Pastoral culture is reinforced through relationships and small-school visibility. Staff are presented very openly on the school website, including named class teams across Puffins (Reception and Year 1), Kingfishers (Year 2), Owls (Years 3 and 4), and Falcons (Years 5 and 6). That clarity matters for parents of younger pupils, particularly those settling into Reception, because it signals who does what, and where a concern should land.

There is also a distinctive therapeutic element that is unusually specific for a mainstream primary. A school therapy dog, Meg, features as part of reading support and calm regulation, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. This is not window dressing, it is described as integrated into ordinary routines such as reading practice and supervised walks.

For a small primary, headline outcomes can swing year to year, so the safest interpretation is to focus on what the published indicators suggest about typical attainment, and how the school compares to national benchmarks.

In the latest published Key Stage 2 outcomes, 81% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The England average is 62%, which places this outcome clearly above the national picture. At the higher standard, 43% achieved the higher threshold, compared to 8% across England. That combination is what many parents look for, not only a strong “expected” pass rate, but also evidence that higher prior attainers continue to be pushed.

Scaled scores reinforce the same message. Reading is 108, maths is 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 107, with a combined score of 323. Those are the kinds of figures typically associated with a primary where early reading is systematic and maths is taught in a coherent sequence.

The school’s position in England rankings is also available. Ranked 2,462nd in England and 4th in the Matlock area for primary outcomes, it sits above England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

For parents comparing nearby options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can be a practical way to view these outcomes side by side, especially when cohort sizes differ.

The curriculum is described as broad and connected across subjects, with teaching that helps pupils link topics and apply knowledge in practical problem solving. A concrete example is the use of design and maths skills together to create marble runs, a useful proxy for how STEM learning is approached in a primary setting.

Reading is treated as a centrepiece rather than one subject among many. Topics are linked to class books, pupils read together, and children in Reception start learning to read from their first week in school. Phonics is described as quick to embed, with closely matched reading books to the sounds pupils know, plus extra sessions for pupils who need it, including those with SEND. The implication for families is straightforward: early reading is likely to be taught systematically, with intervention built in before gaps become entrenched.

The school also signals a clear intent to build knowledge progressively from early years to Year 6. In some subjects, content sequencing is described as explicit and well structured, while other areas, including parts of history, are highlighted as needing clearer definition of key knowledge and order. For parents, that reads as a school that knows where it is strong and is refining curriculum design rather than standing still.

Forest School is the most distinctive teaching strand. The school runs weekly sessions where two year groups work outside with a named Forest Lead, Mrs Hadfield, and a teaching assistant, building outdoor skills through structured projects such as shelter building, hedgehog homes, and creating games using natural materials. These sessions are also described as linked to classroom learning, which is important because it moves the experience beyond “outdoor time” into curriculum reinforcement.

As a state primary (ages 4 to 11), the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. The specific destination pattern is not published as a numerical breakdown on the school website, so the most reliable guidance for families is to check Derbyshire’s coordinated admissions routes and the local secondary options for the Matlock area, then match those to where you live and how transport works for your child.

What the school does make clear is that pupils’ experiences are broadened beyond the immediate village setting through curriculum-linked trips, partnerships, and visits. Examples include theatre trips, places of worship, a nearby heritage centre, a residential experience, and links with schools in Derby to expand pupils’ sense of life beyond their local community. The implication is that pupils are likely to move into secondary with some confidence in unfamiliar settings, which can matter for a small rural primary where secondary can feel like a big jump in scale.

If you are shortlisting secondaries alongside this primary, it is worth using FindMySchoolMap Search to sense-check journey times and realistic routes, especially in a Dales context where the nearest school on a map is not always the easiest in practice.

Admissions for Reception are coordinated by Derbyshire. For children starting school in September 2026 (the 2026 to 2027 academic year), Derbyshire states applications open on 10 November 2025 and close at midnight on 15 January 2026, with offers issued on 16 April 2026.

The school itself signposts visits and encourages families to book a tour, which is a sensible move for a small primary where “fit” often comes down to how a child responds to the setting and routines.

Demand is described as real rather than hypothetical. In the most recent published Reception admissions snapshot, there were 24 applications for 11 offers, indicating that competition can be meaningful even when the numbers look small on an absolute scale. The practical implication is that a handful of additional applicants can materially change the offer picture, so families should treat deadlines and evidence (address, looked-after status where applicable) as high stakes rather than admin detail.

No “last distance offered” figure is available here, so distance-based planning should be approached carefully. If you are relying on proximity, check the local authority admissions guidance and be realistic about annual movement.

A small roll often enables quicker identification of needs, but only if support systems are structured. Here, the published evidence points to a culture of care and safety supported by routines and roles. Pupils describe bullying as rare and say they feel safe, with trusted adults available when something worries them.

Support for pupils with SEND is described in practical terms: adapted teaching, timely adult support in early years, and targeted small-group or individual sessions when needed, with leaders checking that those interventions are working. The therapy dog, Meg, is also framed as part of calm support, including during reading. That combination suggests a school that sees wellbeing as something built into ordinary classroom practice rather than a bolt-on programme.

Extracurricular in a small primary needs to do two jobs at once. It has to broaden experience, and it has to give children places to belong across mixed age groups.

Forest School is the flagship “beyond the classroom” offer because it is structured, regular, and skills-based. Pupils build shelters, create nature-based projects, and learn practical teamwork outdoors. For many children, especially those who learn best through doing, this can be the difference between school feeling abstract and school feeling real.

Wraparound clubs are unusually detailed and varied for a primary of this size. The published programme includes Homework Club (Year 2 and above), Yoga and Mindfulness Club, Art Club, Lego Club, Music Club with an ambition to build a Middleton Orchestra, Code Club using Scratch, Film Club, plus time-limited options such as Golf Club in the early part of the year.

For parents, the implication is choice. Some children will want sport, others will want calm creativity, others will want structured independence through homework club.

Trips and experiences add further breadth. Curriculum-linked visits include theatre, places of worship, a heritage centre, a residential experience, and a trip to The Lowry in Manchester, which provides a level of cultural exposure not every village primary can offer through day-to-day life alone.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The published school day runs from 8.50am to 3.20pm. Breakfast Club runs from 7.45am to 8.50am, priced at £3.50 per session, with £3.00 for siblings, and includes breakfast. After-school options typically run to 4.15pm to 4.30pm depending on the club, with a mix of free clubs and paid sessions (for example, £2.50 sessions for some clubs, and £4.00 for a sports club).

Because the school is in a village setting, day-to-day transport will often be driven by local routes and family logistics rather than a single obvious public transport option. If transport is pivotal for your household, the best practical approach is to map your likely journeys at drop-off and pick-up times, then factor in wraparound availability on the days you need it.

• Small-school dynamics. With a roll around the 90-pupil mark and four mixed structures, friendship groups and class groupings can feel very stable. That suits many children, but those who want a very large peer group may find the social pool limited.

• Competition can be sharp despite small numbers. Recent Reception demand data shows more than two applications per offer. In a school this size, a small change in applications can materially change who gets a place.

• Wraparound costs and logistics. Breakfast Club and several after-school clubs are paid, and places for some activities are limited. Families planning around wraparound should treat it as a key part of the overall school decision, not an afterthought.

• Curriculum refinement still in motion. The published external review highlights that some subjects need clearer identification and sequencing of key knowledge. That is a normal development area, but it matters if you are choosing this school primarily for a particular foundation subject experience.

Middleton Community Primary School suits families who want a small, grounded primary where outdoors learning is a genuine thread rather than an occasional enrichment day. Outcomes are strong relative to England benchmarks, early reading is treated as a priority, and the enrichment offer is more specific than you might expect from a school of this size.

Who it suits: children who thrive with close adult knowledge, structured routines, and practical, hands-on learning, especially outdoors. The main challenge is admission and logistics, because small numbers mean less slack when demand rises.