Ecclesbourne school

[Moonfields]

We are looking at relocating to the Belper area. No property in mind yet but it's important that we are in a good secondary catchment.

Anyone have kids at Ecclesbourne? I have read good things, I am wondering how oversubscribed it is? Do they ever take kids in from out of catchment or is that very rare? Our eldest is 9 so there will be a year or two in a primary beforehand.

It’s meant to be excellent. I think the catchment stretches down to Darley Abbey and up past Duffield but only to the edges of Belper itself. I don’t live round there any more but it’s a lovely area.

Meant to say, I would make sure you are in catchment as it’s the most popular school in the area by far.

Thank you @Didiusfalco i thought that might be the case with needing to be well within catchment. The hunt continues!

Excellent school, only qualification would be if your child is not super academic (it wouldn't have suited ds1) but even with that caveat, I know less academic kids who have done well there.

We live in an area where some DC go but we are out of catchment so you only get in if lucky. Belper deffo not in catchment, Milford is the next village and that isn't either, as kids go to Belper school.

So you need Duffield (then kids can walk!) or else villages like Kirk Langley, Mugginton, Little Eaton - further than belper or Milfird most likely but no other option.

There are also new estates in catchment eg Langley Fields (I think) on the edge of Mickleover and a new estate being built as we speak on the edge of Allestre. Neither of these are actually in Derby city hence Ecc catchment.

Belper school is really good tho, don't be put off by no uniform, I know lots of DC that go there and have done well.

Woodlands in Allestree on the up with new head; also Littleover CS is v good and Landau (tho that doesn't have a catchment). Please ask for more info! 😀

Oooh thanks @clary i will look up Belper school too. Was a bit put off by Ofsted but I know that's not everything!!

We want to be pretty rural, looking for a bit ish house with land which I think might make Ecclesbourne catchment tricky tbh. Are there any rural villages / spots that you think would fall under it at all?

Quarndon is popular
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106542014#/

Or Kirk Langley, Mugginton, Windley, Kedleston, Hazelwood. Not Brailsfird tho, that's QEGS.

Little Eaton is not really rural tbh. Not masses of rural property for sale in Ecc catchment tbh. Don't always believe the estate agent ad btw.

Tell me your budget and I will look!

Muggington and Kirk Langley are pretty rural. You could also look at the other side of Belper e.g. Hulland Ward and use QEGS in Ashbourne which is excellent.

yes agree Mugginton is rural, but not much property there, I meant!

I would go Belper School,over QEGS myself.

You definitely have to be in catchment now as it's oversubscribed by a lot now the new builds have been built. Houses in catchment are significantly more expensive than outside for a reason.

The new estate in Allestree I think comes under Woodlands as Ecclesbourne couldn't take them

I am sure people will go to Woodlands for the new Allestre estate, but it's not in Derby city so it is Ecc catchment. Don't think anyone us living there yet so we shall see.

As you probably know, Ecclesbourne has a very strong reputation established over decades as the best state school in the county. As a result it has a self-selecting intake whose families have high aspirations. That’s great for bright middle class kids who fit in, but it’s not so great for anyone else.

One of my colleague’s children went to Ecclebourne. The family live in the catchment area. He is a non-academic kid, and he required significant additional help for literacy & numeracy. Although not unhappy, he was always very much the odd one out. In a bog-standard school in Derby, he would have been much less so. All his mates stayed on into sixth form, and most will go to RG unis. He left at 16 with weak GCSEs and is now doing retakes at the local college.

Period farmhouse needing renovation fir half a million in Kirk Langley

@clary Ecclesbourne have excluded it from their catchment when planning permission went through.

[quote popcorndiva]@clary Ecclesbourne have excluded it from their catchment when planning permission went through.[/quote]
oooh did not know that! Helpful for Woodlands then eh!

@Susie477

As you probably know, Ecclesbourne has a very strong reputation established over decades as the best state school in the county. As a result it has a self-selecting intake whose families have high aspirations. That’s great for bright middle class kids who fit in, but it’s not so great for anyone else.

One of my colleague’s children went to Ecclebourne. The family live in the catchment area. He is a non-academic kid, and he required significant additional help for literacy & numeracy. Although not unhappy, he was always very much the odd one out. In a bog-standard school in Derby, he would have been much less so. All his mates stayed on into sixth form, and most will go to RG unis. He left at 16 with weak GCSEs and is now doing retakes at the local college.

This was what I was trying to say. My ds1 has SEN and would have struggled at Ecckesbourne, IMHO.

Yep think Woodlands received the extra money to provide places,with Portway the primary.

I would agree that Ecclesbourne is great for children who above average as they do push you

I see naughty Miller Homes are still claiming Ecclesbourne catchment for their new estate tho @popcorndiva - hence, double check before buying OP.

I think they are being naughty and why they are struggling to sell

Ooh great thanks for these tips. Budget is approx £650k, depends whether needs work or not...could go a bit higher. We would like some land and potential for an annexe.

Kids are both academic and eldest very into sports and drama too. Think Ecclesbourne would be a good fit but equally happy to look elsewhere too.

Ecclesbourne re-drew it’s catchment 5 years ago to deliberately exclude the estate being built on the boundary of Allestree

It’s going to be very interesting in the next few years as the Langley estate on Radbourne Lane IS in catchment and the extra numbers will undoubtedly cause a push back on kids in Allestree/Belper getting in and then there is the threat of redrawing once again and removing Allestree and Darley Abbey which has been threatened for decades

If this happens there will be a push back in the city as many inner city kids travel to Woodlands and they will be pushed out by the Allestree kids Currently going to Ecclesbourne

As for the school it’s self I’ve found them on the whole very supportive with DS and as we head to the end of his time there I know it was the best school for him compared with Woodlands

Op if you’re looking for country side and space study the map of the catchment area, keep towards the golden triangle side of Ashbourne QUEGS Wirksworth Anthony Gel and Duffield and you can’t go wrong

hmmmm three beds needs work in Little Eaton, nit especially rural tho
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106382645#/

Kirk Langley farmhouse, rural, looks a tho it's falling down
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108489317#/

Might be better giving up on the rural dream and living in duffiekd itself op.
Incidentally the school's own catchment map includes the area of the Kedkeston Grante estate. No houses on the image tho.

Hmmm, interesting, what are QUEGS and Anthony Gel like as options?

My friend’s DC were at Belper (left recently) and whilst their DC was happy there, they weren’t over-impressed with the academics. It is difficult to judge a child’s real potential but in early years they were as bright as my DC and had lots of parental support but didn’t achieve the same academic level. I get the impression that the school didn’t have high expectations of the kids so the kids just didn’t do as well as they might. My friends think at a different school their DC would have achieved better results. However just having a happy child is an achievement these days!

@Moonfields QUEGS and Anthony Gel are both highly sought after hence the golden triangle

As your DC is sporty and into Drama they would really enjoy Ecclesbourne as both are highly developed at the school, there are even current Olympic alumni