The essential facts about South Darley C.E. Primary School in one place. For anything else, please ring the school office on 01629 732240, or see Questions parents ask.

The school

• South Darley C.E. Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in the Diocese of Derby.
• It teaches children aged 4 to 11, from Reception to Year 6.
• Children start in Reception in the September after their fourth birthday.
• There are three mixed-age classes: Infants (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2), Lower Juniors (Years 3 and 4) and Upper Juniors (Years 5 and 6), with an average of about 18 children in a class.
• South Darley has 56 pupils (October 2026).
• The headteacher is Mr Paul Wilde, who also teaches the Lower Juniors class.
• Every junior learns a musical instrument; in 2026-27 it is brass.
• Every junior swims each year, and the school has a long-running partnership with schools in Kolkata, India.
• Families of every faith and none are welcome; you do not need to be a churchgoer for your child to be offered a place.

Where to find us

• South Darley C.E. Primary School, Cross Green, Darley Bridge, Nr Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 2JT.
• About 5 minutes by car from Darley Dale and Winster, 10 minutes from Matlock and 15 minutes from Bakewell.
• Telephone 01629 732240. Email office@southdarley.derbyshire.sch.uk.

The school day

• The school day starts at 8.40am, and registers close at 8.50am.
• Infants finish at 3.20pm and Juniors at 3.25pm.
• Wraparound care runs from 8am to 6pm.
• Morning club runs from 8.00am every school day, Monday to Friday.
• After-school club runs until 6pm, Monday to Thursday, and on Fridays when a family asks. Wraparound Care
• Infant lunches are free; junior lunches cost £3.25 a day. School Dinners
• Term dates

Inspections and results

• Ofsted, 27 June 2024: South Darley “continues to be a good school”. The last graded inspection, in June 2019, judged it Good.
• SIAMS church school inspection, 5 December 2023: the school “is living up to its foundation as a Church school and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish”.
• In 2026, 75 per cent of Year 6 reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, against 63 per cent nationally, and every Year 2 child had passed the phonics check by the end of Key Stage 1. Our results
• In 2026, every Year 2 child had passed the national phonics screening check, against a national average of around 89 per cent.
• The school holds Music Mark School status, the School Games Gold award for 2025-26 and the Healthy Schools Award.

Joining the school

• South Darley welcomes new families in every year group, from Reception to Year 6.
• Visits are welcome at any time of year: ring 01629 732240 to arrange one.
• Reception applications go to Derbyshire County Council. For September 2027, applications open on 9 November 2026 and close on 15 January 2027; offers are made on 16 April 2027.
• Families can also join at any point in the year, by applying to Derbyshire County Council for an in-year place. If a place is needed quickly, it can be processed within a few days, and the school will help you with the forms.
• Little Darlings, the school’s stay-and-play group for children from birth to starting school, runs every Wednesday in term time from 10.00 to 11.30am, £2 a family.

Last reviewed: October 2026.