Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School Review 2026: Three-form infant school with a purpose-built early years base

As an infant school (nursery to Year 2), Church Gresley does not sit Key Stage 2 tests, and the usual headline KS2 measures many parents see for primaries do not apply. The best current, comparable external benchmark is inspection evidence rather than exam tables.

The latest Ofsted report (inspection dates 30 and 31 January 2024) states the school continues to be Good. Inspectors highlight high expectations of behaviour, pupils playing happily together, and a strong emphasis on reading as a priority, including daily story reading and regular use of libraries.

Rather than hunting for a single number, parents should look for whether early reading is systematic, whether children who fall behind are identified quickly, and whether behaviour norms support learning time. The Ofsted evidence points in the right direction on those fundamentals for infants.

If you are comparing several local options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and comparison tools are most helpful when schools share the same end points. For infant schools, your shortlist will usually be shaped more by admissions reality, wraparound logistics, and the fit of early years practice than by KS2 outcomes that the school does not generate.

The school’s published early years description emphasises a curriculum planned around children’s needs and interests, while still being ambitious and structured for progression from nursery into Reception and then into Key Stage 1. It also states that nursery is teacher-led, supported by teaching assistants with NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) qualifications.

Ofsted’s 2024 report reinforces the idea that curriculum thinking is joined up. It describes an ambitious curriculum designed to build important knowledge over time, and it gives a concrete example through music, where pupils learn about significant musicians from different cultures. For parents, this is a helpful signal that the school is aiming beyond worksheets and themes, towards sequenced knowledge and vocabulary, even in the early years.

Reading is singled out as a priority by Ofsted. In an infant context, that typically means daily story exposure, careful attention to phonics and early language development, and routines that make books normal rather than “special occasion”. The report also notes pupils enjoy using the school library and a local library nearby, which matters because repeated access is one of the strongest predictors of reading confidence at this age.

Because the school ends at Year 2, the key transition is into junior provision for Year 3. Locally, one clear pathway is Pennine Way Junior Academy, whose published oversubscription criteria explicitly prioritise children attending Church Gresley Infant and Nursery School. That kind of named priority matters in practice because it can shape the likelihood of siblings and friendship groups staying together across the move into Key Stage 2.

Derbyshire’s coordinated process also explicitly covers junior transfer for children currently in Year 2 at an infant school, using the same overall admissions cycle as Reception entry for September 2026.

What to do with this information: if your child is in Year 2 now (or will be before the transfer point), treat junior transfer as a live application process rather than an automatic step. Many families assume it is guaranteed, but junior schools can be oversubscribed too.

For Reception entry in Derbyshire for September 2026, the county timeline is clear: applications open Monday 10 November 2025 and close at midnight on Thursday 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on Thursday 16 April 2026. Appeals are then scheduled on a defined timeline.

For Reception entry, the school was oversubscribed, with 135 applications and 89 offers recorded, and first-preference demand slightly exceeding places. That pattern usually produces a mixed outcome for families: many do get in, but a portion will not, especially when distance, siblings, or other criteria begin to separate applicants.

For families planning ahead, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check distances precisely for each option you are considering, then sanity-check that against recent local allocation patterns. Even where a school does not publish a neat “furthest distance at which a place was offered” figure, understanding geography early helps avoid false certainty.

Nursery entry is different from Reception. The nursery is part of the school and describes both 30-hours funded provision (for eligible families) and part-time sessions, plus a clear statement that children typically remain in nursery until the start of the autumn term of their fifth birthday when they transfer into full-time education.

Safeguarding leadership is explicitly signposted on the school website, with the headteacher named as Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy safeguarding roles also listed. Parents should expect this to translate into clear reporting routes, consistent staff training, and a culture where early years staff notice patterns quickly because they see the same children daily at close range.

Ofsted’s 2024 report supports the broader wellbeing picture by stating children are happy and safe, and by describing a calm, high-expectations approach to behaviour. In infant schools, that combination is often what creates the conditions for learning, especially for children still developing self-regulation and language for feelings.

The most helpful indicators here are specific, named opportunities rather than generic claims. Ofsted notes curriculum enrichment through additional musical activities, giving glockenspiel and recorder clubs as examples. This matters because it suggests that music is not treated purely as a one-off lesson, but as something children can choose and practise, building confidence and fine motor control over time.

The school website’s clubs information also points to activity-based provision, including items such as archery, gymnastics, Nerf, and multi-sports or breakdance options listed for Spring 2026, plus an after-school club link presented as SH Active. For parents, the practical implication is that enrichment is not only curricular, it also supports working-family logistics when it aligns with the school day.

For nursery, the school is unusually concrete about physical resources: trikes, balance bikes, scooters, seesaws and climbing frames are all listed, linked to developing gross motor skills and exploration of the natural world. That specificity is a good sign in early years, where the environment is a core part of learning rather than a backdrop.

The school day timing is published on at least one class page: registers close at 8:50am and the day finishes at 3:15pm, with gates opening at 8:40am. Parents should still confirm timings for their child’s year group, particularly for nursery sessions which have their own timings (including a funded 30-hours pattern and part-time morning or afternoon sessions).

Wraparound care appears to be available in practice, including breakfast-club communication and an after-school club link on the clubs page. If you rely on wraparound daily, verify exact days, capacity, and booking rules directly with the school because these details can change term by term.

On travel, this is a Swadlincote, Church Gresley setting, and many families will walk or do short drop-offs. If you are choosing between nearby schools, factor in whether you are also planning for junior transfer, because the logistics may change at Year 3.

• Infant-only age range. The school finishes at Year 2, so you are committing to a second application for Key Stage 2. Families should plan junior transfer early rather than treating it as an automatic step.

• Admissions competition is real. shows Reception entry as oversubscribed, with more applications than offers. That is manageable competition for many families, but it reduces certainty for late movers.

• Nursery logistics vary by entitlement. The nursery describes a mix of funded 30-hours provision (for eligible families) and part-time sessions with specific timings, which can work well, but requires planning around pick-up windows.

• Name and identity across sources. The headteacher’s name appears as Mrs E J Cripps on the school website and as Jo Cripps on Ofsted and official records. This is common and usually reflects formatting rather than a staffing change, but families who like total clarity can confirm directly.

A well-established choice for early years and Key Stage 1, with a modern environment, explicit early years curriculum progression, and a Good judgement reaffirmed at the latest inspection. The school suits families who want a structured, values-led infant setting with clear reading emphasis and practical wraparound options, and who are comfortable planning a separate junior transfer at Year 2.