Spire Junior School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 7 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Jawbones Hill, Derby Road, Chesterfield, S40 2ENOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Spire Junior School is a primary school in Chesterfield for ages 7 to 11. It is one of the 449 schools in Derbyshire. It ranks 40th of 48 primary schools in Chesterfield. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 17 May 2022, report published 12 July 2022

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 May 2022

There is a family atmosphere about Spire Junior School. It is a caring school. Pupils enjoy their learning and being with their friends. One pupil told inspectors, 'We have rules to keep the world in harmony and keep life an enjoyment, not a punishment.' Staff have very high expectations of pupils. They celebrate the school's three rules of 'ready, respectful, safe'. Pupils understand these rules. They have positive attitudes towards their work and towards each other. Pupils know that bullying is not tolerated. They know that staff are quick to sort out any concerns for them. Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful. One pupil told inspectors: 'If something is right, it will make others feel good. There's no point doing wrong things to affect other people in a bad way.' Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, typical of many, said, 'Staff always put the children first and make it an enjoyable place for them to learn.' Parents particularly appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular clubs available to pupils.

What the school should improve

  • The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all subjects, including in pupils' personal development, within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. In completing their curriculum review, leaders should ensure that there is clarity in their curriculum thinking across all subjects and areas as to the knowledge that all pupils, including those with SEND, should learn and when they should learn it.
  • Approaches to assessment are inconsistent in some subjects. In some subjects, where curriculum thinking is less clear, teachers do not check effectively how successfully pupils acquire and use knowledge. Leaders should ensure that assessment consistently assists teachers in identifying clear next steps for pupils without causing unnecessary burdens for staff and pupils.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

48 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths31%

31%, 31 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths6%

6%, 2 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score101

101, 5 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score100

100, 5 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score103

103, 2 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

154 pupils on roll, with places for 204

Eligible for free school meals60.4%

60.4%, 33.9 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language8.4%

8.4%, 13.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support19.5%

19.5%, 4.7 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan7.1%

7.1%, 1.1 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near Spire Junior School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Spire Nursery and Infant School0.3 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Walton Peak Flying High Academy0.4 milesOfsted: Good80% met the expected standard
William Rhodes Primary and Nursery School0.6 milesOfsted judgements: Good39% met the expected standard
Hasland Infant School0.7 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Brampton Primary School1 mileOfsted judgements: Requires improvement to good21% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Community school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
7 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mrs Charlotte Vernon
Address
Jawbones Hill, Derby Road, Chesterfield, S40 2EN
Local authority
Derbyshire
URN
112661

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.