Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School
Buxton Road, Furness Vale, High Peak, SK23 7PQOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School is a primary school in High Peak for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 449 schools in Derbyshire. It ranks 104th of 245 primary schools in Derbyshire. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 October 2024, report published 23 October 2024
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 1 October 2024
Pupils love their school. They say that teachers are caring and are always there to help them. Pupils are proud to share their work and achievements with staff. Children in the early years quickly form trusting relationships with the adults they work with. There is a strong sense of community at this school. Governors and staff work together to achieve the school's vision that pupils will have 'happy hearts, enquiring minds, positive futures'. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. One parent, typical of many, described the school as 'extremely welcoming, inclusive and warm'. Staff work hard to help pupils to achieve their potential. Pupils achieve well. They enthusiastically share their ideas during class discussions. Pupils play well together during social times. Playtime leaders help to ensure that everyone can take part in an activity and that playtime equipment is well-cared for. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, they take up roles in the school council or as librarians. Some older pupils organise clubs for their younger peers. Pupils enjoy taking part in trips to build their confidence and independence including to experience outdoor and adventurous activities.
What the school should improve
- In some subjects, teachers do not routinely use effective strategies which help pupils recall their learning. This means that, in these subjects, pupils recall of their prior learning is inconsistent. They cannot always connect current and prior learning. The school should ensure that teachers use strategies to help pupils remember what they have learned so that they know and remember more of the curriculum.
- In some subjects, the curriculum and the checks on pupils' learning are new. As a result, the school has not yet been able to evaluate the strengths and areas for development in those subjects. The school does not yet have a secure understanding of what pupils do and do not know in these subjects. The school should ensure that the information gathered about pupils' knowledge is used to identify areas for improvement in the curriculum so that they can be addressed and to help fill gaps in pupils' knowledge.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
14 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
72 pupils on roll, with places for 116
Schools near Furness Vale Primary and Nursery School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newtown Primary School (High Peak Federation) | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
| Buxworth Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| St George's CofE Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted judgements: Good | 63% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 70% met the expected standard |
| Whaley Bridge Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 31% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Ms Suzanne Kay
- Phone
- 01663744103
- Address
- Buxton Road, Furness Vale, High Peak, SK23 7PQ
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- URN
- 112648
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.